Sapphire Scales
by Marjorie Franklin
Summary: Aqua had always been quiet and contemplative. She longed for the land, the Keyblade wielder, and an immortal heart. Aqua could gain all of those things, but only if Terra loved her more than anything and vowed to be true to her forever. She cut out her tongue and relented her fins to be with him, but would it be enough? [Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid AU]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, or the cover image. I own nothing!

_**A/N:** As the summary said, this is a The Little Mermaid AU (alternate universe) story and by The Little Mermaid I want you to know this is NOT going to be Disney. There won't to be any singing crabs etc. __This story is mostly based on the original, the Hans Christian Anderson story, but it will not be EXACTLY the same so don't panic or expect it to actually BE the Hans Christian Andersen version. I am going to put my spin on things. There will be differences, and I will do my best to make it unique. __I will keep my usual writing style which means it will be darker and more mature at times. Enjoy!_

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**Sapphire Scales**

**Chapter 1**

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Life in the deepest fathoms of the sea was not like the life humans experienced above. Colorful fish imitated birds in the azure, crystalline sky. Flora grew on the murky depths but not as they grew on land. Plants were abnormally shaped and held unnatural colors. They contained only the brightest hues of color while corals, undersea trees, and vibrant, marine flowers caressed the sandy terrain of the world below. Sparkling lakes and ponds did not exist in the underworld and the sun did not shine as brightly nor did the moon have the strength to illuminate their distant dominion.

The denizens of the sea could live for hundreds of years while the life of humans was much shorter. However, merfolk and humans both had to perish, but only humans had immortal hearts. Once a mermaid or merman perished, they would never live again; their hearts could not rise to glorious, unknown regions. Their hearts would never experience the mythical realm beyond the glittering stars that the human's called Kingdom Hearts.

The undersea inhabitants would never live lives after their bodies turned to foam, but they couldn't shed tears for their perishable existence. They could not weep as the humans could. One could not cry underwater. Tears never fell from the inhabitants' eyes, making their seldom felt sorrow all the worse, but most did not think of their impermanent existence for they knew they were much happier and much better off than human beings.

Aqua could not cry but she could feel sorrow as she stared at her small, undersea garden. She formed her flowerbed around a strange, key like weapon that had been permanently lodged within an algae covered boulder. Nearby, her regal grandmother told tales of her ventures to the surface world to the young mermaids who had not yet made the journey to the upper realm.

At the age of fifteen, all ocean dwellers were allowed to travel to the surface and witness the chaotic world above. The moment Aqua turned fifteen she ascended to the higher domain. She had been so thrilled and excited at first but now, at the age of eighteen, the journeys to the surface only tortured her. They reminded her that she could only observe and that she would never be able to truly experience that world. To look and never to touch. To see but never be seen.

The younger maidens with fishtails were still amused by her grandmother's stories but they no longer charmed the mermaid with short, blue hair. Aqua had been to the surface countless times and had heard her grandmother's narratives until she knew each of them by heart but every word and every observation only caused her more unbearable pain.

She wanted more than to just watch and listen. She wasn't ignorant. She knew there was more to life. Aqua didn't want the simple life of nothing but dreadfully boring balls and garden tending. She didn't want the life of her grandmother or the life of any of the other women below.

Aqua's baby blue eyes traveled over her flawless flowerbed for the millionth time.

All the mermaids had a garden. Each had a unique flowerbed filled with flora of their choosing and the plot formed a shape they desired. Most had geometric shaped plots like circles, squares, or triangles but Aqua's was in the shape of a star. She based her plot's design on a picture she had seen in a book that had descended to their world when she was young.

Like every other denizen of the sea, Aqua couldn't read but she still loved books. She especially loved books with pictures. She would stare at the words that were illegible to her as if she could somehow learn to understand their meaning. Aqua memorized the scribbles and marks but they made little sense to her. Her grandmother told her it was another way the humans spoke, that they transformed their words into marks that they could translate.

Aqua wished she had such talents, but most, like her father, found human talents absurd. Her father, King Eraqus had been a widower for many years. Aqua couldn't remember her mother but her grandmother had filled that void in her life. Her grandmother stayed with them and helped her father to raise her after her mother's death.

The older mermaid wore her lengthy, white hair in a bun atop her regal head. She adorned her hair and violet tail in gems and rhinestones to display her rank and status as the Sea King's mother.

"I wish you would get rid of that thing," her queenly grandmother chided and pointed a willowed finger to the key like object that slumbered within the center of Aqua's star-shaped garden.

Aqua rolled her eyes. Her grandmother had scolded her about the object she informed her was called a Keyblade many times. The regal elder thought the legendary, human weapon sullied Aqua's otherwise immaculate flowerbed.

"No, Gran, the Keyblade stays," the blue-haired mermaid said dreamily while running her porcelain fingertips along the weapon's rusted hilt.

Many a time had Aqua tried to remove the weapon she cherished so but since she couldn't, she chose to build her garden around it instead.

"You are impossible, child," the old dowager chastised with a shake of her white head, her ornate necklaces and ornaments clinking as she moved.

"Tell us another story, Gran!" a raven-haired half-human named Xion cried with excitement.

Like many of the other mermaids within Eraqus's kingdom, Xion called the dowager Gran. Xion was one of Aqua's best friends and she would be turning fifteen in a day or so.

Aqua envied her enthusiasm. Xion reminded her of herself right before she turned fifteen; bright, energetic, and enraptured to the point of rupturing. However, Aqua was sure Xion would be the same as the other maidens that traveled to the surface. They would venture up a few times until their curiosity was sated then they would return with a newfound fondness of their underwater home. After that, they would rarely revisit the world above.

Aqua had stopped traveling to the upper world but not because she was sated, she stopped journeying heavenward because it tormented her to. Each new journey would cause her more pain than the last. Each new excursion caused the ache in her chest to intensify with unrequited, incurable longing.

As demanded, Gran began telling yet another parable. Aqua released a dejected sigh and stretched herself along the surface of a nearby boulder and buried her face in her ivory arms, her short, azure mane tickling her forearms. Her bare breast pressed to the frigid surface of the curved stone and her shining sapphire tail whipped around behind her as she helplessly willed yet another glum day to end.

* * *

Fishes both small and large weaved between the branches of the underworld trees just as birds fly on land. The fish glided in and out of the windows of Aqua's room within the Sea King's palace in search of food. She extended her hand for the limbless organism to come and feed from her opened palm.

The fish did not move like the birds she had seen. Fish effortlessly glided and twitched but the birds soared and stretched their wings. Wind filled their natural sails while the fish slithered through the thick mass of liquid that she too inhabited.

This was how she spent her days, constantly analyzing her world and comparing it to the other. She intricately inspected every single detail, pointing out the underworld faults and glorifying the land she knew so little about but yearned for nothing more than to learn everything about it.

The sound of distant popping and the squealing of mermaids paddling away from the surface brought Aqua out of her thoughts. She levitated off her perch on the marble ledge she sat upon and drifted through her window. Cobalt orbs squinted as she inspected the flashing sky that led to the world above.

The sky reflected every color she knew and even some she didn't know.

Curiosity proved superior and she ascended to the surface, veering towards the lights and sounds the others fled from. She wasn't afraid. Aqua knew it would be amazing. To her, everything the humans did was amazing.

The mermaid rose to the surface like a bubble.

The sun was setting as her porcelain skin was smothered with crisp, cool air. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she adjusted to her new surroundings.

The usually blue sky was orange while the clouds that muddied its expanse were tinted with rippling shades of gold and crimson. Twilight lingered while the moon and stars slowly emerged within the upper atmosphere. The waters were calm and the air was gentle.

When Aqua's eyes left the sky, she noticed an oversized ship with three masts lying lazily in the sea's tender embrace. Men sat and socialized along the ship's large deck or along the ropes, cables, and chains that supported the ship's massive masts.

Lanterns were being shot into the darkening sky. They streaked into the air and exploded into flower like patterns once they reached the heavens. The lanterns filled the sky by the hundreds, occupying the air with immeasurable amounts of unique colors and distinct designs. Aqua had never seen such before.

Aqua swam closer to the ship, much closer than any other mermaid would dare to go, they lacked her fearlessness.

The half human with a blue fishtail closed in on the ship's cabin window so that when the waves rose high enough, she could peer through the clear glass that separated her from the humans inside.

She could see many people dressed extravagantly while others wore shiny steel and metal on their bodies. She instantly noticed the men adorned in protective covering held Keyblades in their burly hands.

Among the men in armor with Keyblades was a young man with royal blue eyes, dark brown hair and tan skin.

Aqua wasn't the type to fawn but he was the most handsome human she had ever laid eyes on and she found that she couldn't stop watching him. She followed him as he socialized throughout the cabin, and she even followed him when he ventured out onto the deck with the other human beings. The humans clamored, danced, drank, and the men with Keyblades playfully spared with one another on the deck.

Her cerulean eyes refused to leave the man with royal blue eyes. He effortlessly spared with the other wielders of the key as more lanterns shattered in the ebony sky. It seemed like the humans were celebrating something and she instantly began to wonder what they were celebrating.

Gran had once told Aqua that humans celebrated birthdays, weddings, and things like her people did but that they also celebrated things like victories or accomplishments. Her father had also said that humans were savages that often engaged in war because of their greed and unhappiness, which led her to believe that perhaps the humans were celebrating a successful crusade.

However, as she observed the festivities, she came to the conclusion this was likely a birthday were gifts, foods, vibrant deserts, and two very happy looking girls, one blonde and one a redhead. Aside from their hair color they were identical, likely twins, which would explain why they were both celebrating a birthday.

The some of the men around the girls seemed to be guarding them as they pranced around the ship with poorly subdued excitement. The key-shaped weaponry some of them had led her to believe that these men were possibly soldiers of some kind or maybe peacekeepers. According to her grandmother, the Keyblade in her garden was a weapon used by peacekeepers and the handsome man with brown hair looked more like a peacekeeper than a cruel tyrant or soldier. He looked kind, sincere, and considerate.

Water began to mist down from the sky while more explosive lanterns swam into the heavens. Blinding lightening crashed along with the bursting flowers in the upper atmosphere causing Aqua flinch but she didn't retreat to the safety of the water.

The stars that flew from the lanterns streaked across the coal-black sky and slowly fell onto the unsuspecting ocean. The explosions were so bright Aqua could clearly and plainly see every single detail of the ship. She could see the loose ends of the rope, the cracks in the ships wooden framing, and she couldn't help but notice the peacekeeper covered in bronze metal looked even more handsome when the exploding stars illuminated his dark features. His smile was charming, his eyes hypnotizing, and his movements alluring. She was completely captivated by him.

It was getting very late. Aqua needed to go back to her father's palace but she couldn't stand the thought of not seeing such an unusual, unique sight again…of not seeing the man with navy-blue eyes again.

The explosions had ceased and the sky was no longer stained with vibrant, sparkling flowers but the sea was growing agitated. The ocean began to grumble and groan beneath her and the ship. A storm was approaching and the ship began to respond to the threat.

The humans stirred and the ship began operating again. The sails were released as the ship prepared to flee from the pending storm.

Aqua knew they were departing so she reluctantly gave the ship one final glance.

As the blue mermaid descended into the deep, she could sense the unsettled sea. Grim waves were savagely crashing upon the surface and the wind eerily howled. Its bellow muted, muffled, and slowed by the texture of the liquid around her.

Worry coiled in her entrails.

What if the mystical ship sank? What if it couldn't fend off the unforgiving storm? Such things had happened many times before and would surly happen again. The merciless sea would engulf the ship and the men and even the girls on board would surly suffocate on the enraged water. Their lungs would fill with the ocean's swell and they would lazily plummet to the Sea King's palace, their skin blue, their eyes drearily white, and their faces frozen in an everlasting glower.

Aqua couldn't bear the thought of the bronze man descending to her palace in such a way. Her heart would break if she were to find him permanently sleeping upon the ocean floor, murdered by the very ocean she inhabited. The agony was too much and she once again left the ocean's secure embrace.

It was dark, too dark. The mermaid couldn't see but she could hear the snapping of beams and the cracking of wood. Her heart raced and her baby blue eyes narrowed as she tried to take in the scene around her.

Lightening flashed and she could see that the ship was on its side, taking in large gulps of water while mountainous waves continued to pummel the already suffering ship. The ship's population scattered to board the smaller boats that she assumed were used if the larger ship were to founder.

The world blackened again, her eyes sightless. Planks and beams surged past her and threatened to impale her and crush her to unrecognizable bits.

Frightened, she delved back into the swell to avoid the hazardous wreckage being thrown around by the wrathful sea. After regaining her courage, she ascended only to be greeted by the same unfriendly darkness that inhibited her vision before.

Lightening flashed again and her eyes immediately darted to the boats but she didn't see him. The twin girls and the countless other humans were there, safe upon the spare boats, but she didn't see the man her eyes desperately searched for.

Lightening continued to flicker, giving the world an unnatural, shivering glow. She could hear voices by the ship and she finally saw him. He swam in and out of the sinking ship, aiding those unable to escape to the safety of the smaller boats.

The human with royal blue eyes and the other humans that she'd seen carrying Keyblades helped the other struggling humans to the tiny boats. The men continued to squabble with the sea until they were sure everyone had successfully escaped the ravenous clutches of the deep. The men who carried keys then quarreled with the persistent, cascading swell until they were finally able to get into the boats.

Before the bronze soldier could board, another monstrous wave full of debris crashed onto him. Aqua helplessly watched as the others remaining in the water searched for him in vain. They called a name she couldn't decipher as they desperately scanned the water for the man in bronze covering.

Frantic, Aqua dropped into the water and searched her surroundings for the man with brown hair. She located his fleeting form falling just below those who were searching for him. They didn't see him and they wouldn't see him unless she did something. He was losing his strength as he fought to resurface only to be continuously bludgeoned by wave after powerful wave. He was quickly losing the ability to swim in the unnatural, stormy sea. His obvious strength was failing him and his sincere eyes unwillingly closed.

As fast as she could, the mermaid scuttled to him and looped her arms under his. He was much larger than she thought he would be but he wasn't too heavy. She could still swim.

Swiftly, she rocketed into the ocean's sky and looked for the humans and the boats but she couldn't find them. She couldn't risk being seen but she needed them to find the man in her arms. Aqua couldn't see the appendages they walked on in the water; she couldn't even see the shadows of the boats.

Unable to wait any longer, Aqua resurfaced; holding the human above her so he could get the air he needed to survive. Eyes the same color as the sea timidly inspected the expanse, but the humans were gone. She'd drifted too far and they had been hauled away by the furious swell.

Aqua held his head above the water as she tried to think of what she should do. She couldn't see the humans nor could she see any form of land she could take him to. They were at the mercy of the sea, the sea would pity her but it would have no compassion for the man she held.

Aqua tightened her grip around him as she silently promised that she would show him compassion for the ocean would not. Carefully, she shifted him and let the sea safely drift them where it would.

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Day was breaking and the storm had ceased but Aqua still saw no sign of his human companions or any debris left by the ruined ship. It was as if it had never happened at all.

The sun gradually rose and its powerful rays extinguished the deathly pale hue that had clung to the bronze man's face throughout the night, but his eyes didn't reopen.

Aqua brushed the sopping hair off his face and quietly begged him to open his eyes. She didn't care if he saw her; she just needed to know that he would live.

Once his hair was brushed away, she caressed his expressionless face.

"I wish I knew you name," she admitted as her thumb stroked his cheek.

"Do you think you could wake up so you could tell me your name?" she asked warmly even though she knew he didn't hear her nor could he answer her.

The mermaid continued to speak to him while she waited for any sign of land or civilization. She told him her name, she told him that her father was the Sea King, that her grandmother had helped raise her, that she loved books, and that she had a Keyblade similar to his but couldn't wield it. She even told him of her star-shaped garden, stroking his face and running her fingers through his chocolate-colored hair as she spoke to him.

Eventually, she saw a small mountain range in the distance. Snow slept upon its apex and as she swam them to the mountains she noticed a lush, healthy forest surrounded their base. The closer she got to the landmass the more details came into view.

A small, wooden shack stood by the shore and many other wooden structures were embedded in and around a foliage-covered large tree. Some even jutted out into the ocean like ships, but she couldn't determine what they were or their purpose. Palm trees and trees with star-shaped fruit surrounded the unknown establishments and it appeared that the building might even contain a garden.

Aqua swam with her bronze companion to the beach. Tenderly, she laid him onto the warm sand and allowed him to bask in the warm, midday sunshine. She gently angled his head so he would be able to take in air if he needed it.

The shore was made of sand that mimicked fine-grained alabaster, and the bleached sand burned her sapphire scales as she inched onto the seashore beside him.

Aqua wished she knew more about human health so she could aid him. She felt worthless now that she had gotten him to his natural environment.

His eyes remained closed and his body didn't move. He was eerily still. Was he dead?

The maiden with a fishtail held her hand to his mouth to see if he was breathing.

Feeble, labored breaths fondled and slithered between her ivory fingers. Hesitantly, she rested her head on his broad chest and tried to listen for his heartbeat. She didn't know much about breathing but she _did_ know that they both had a heartbeat; it was one of the few things they shared.

His chest weakly rose and fell as she listened to the faint thumping of his vital organ. Aqua found herself closing her eyes and indulging in the sounds his body created and reveling in the heat that radiated off his form. Humans were much warmer than her cold-blooded brethren were. She had never felt such warmth.

Unwillingly, Aqua left his chest and took his large hand in hers and held it to her face.

"Please, wake up. If you die…" she pleaded and found that she wasn't sure how to proceed. She wasn't sure what she would do if he died…

His brown brow furrowed and his hand twitched.

Aqua gasped and for a moment, she was completely terrified.

His hand opened before it clenched her fingertips tightly. He was _so_ warm she felt that she might melt in his firm grip.

With her free hand she caressed his cheek and he instinctively leaned into her cool touch.

"Mmm," he groaned distressingly, his powerful chest vibrating as the noise reverberated in his sternum.

Aqua's heart stuttered when it heard the sound erupt from his throat. He was alive and she was relieved but she wasn't sure why… She didn't know him, she didn't even know his name!

His hazy eyes fluttered open and focused on her.

Instantly, Aqua flinched and snatched her hand away from his face.

"Don't," he mumbled incoherently and weakly reached for her face.

Stunned and petrified, the mermaid didn't move and allowed him to touch her cheek. Leisurely, his hand flattened against the side of her face and she closed her dazzling eyes when his foreign warmth smothered her cheek.

"Stay," he raved.

He was delirious and she knew it but his words still pierced her soul.

"I-I can't," she replied earnestly and softly, resting her hand on the warm hand that he had placed upon her cheek.

The man's brow creased again and his eyes narrowed while he tried to make out her features. He was coming to. Just as Aqua was about to ask him for his name, the sound of female voices invaded her sensitive ears. A small group of young women were making their way onto the beach.

"I'm sorry," Aqua apologized and leaned forward, placing a tender kiss upon his forehead before she scrambled off the beach and back into the water.

Aqua swam out into the shore and hid amongst several high, jagged boulders that jutted out of the sea. She lowered herself into the water, tossed her hair into her pure face, and let the water cover her to her cobalt eyes so that her face would not be seen.

Attentively, she watched and hoped the girls would help him or at least see him.

It wasn't long before one of the human girls approached the spot where he laid. The young girl seemed afraid at first but her fear lasted but a moment. Once the fear faded, she knelt beside him and called for her friends to assist her.

The man the mermaid saved slowly came back to life within the other woman's arms. As he regained consciousness, he smiled at her and the other girls who had surrounded him.

Aqua's heart ached when he didn't smile at her…but she shouldn't expect to receive one of his charming smiles. He didn't know that she was the one who saved him.

Aqua watched with pain filled eyes as he was led away from her and toward the safey of the shack.

Once she was sure he would be taken care of, she dove into the water and woefully returned to her home.

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_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading!**_

_**I saw all the stories where people have put KH characters into stories like Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella etc. and I wanted to give it a shot! It was a random idea I got after rereading The Little Mermaid and since I am a Terqua fan, this is the odd result! **_

_**I'm also going to point out that Aqua isn't going to have 6 or 7 sisters (however many the chick is supposed to have) and Terra isn't a prince in this story. He's just a Keyblade wielder/bearer. Keep in mind this is an AU and characters will probably be different and I'm not necessarily trying to make them match their character in the games. **_

_**Thanks again for reading and I hope you liked the first chapter!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

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**Chapter 2**

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Aqua had always been contemplative, quiet, and a bit withdrawn, but after she saved the human who wielded a Keyblade, she became even more unsociable and silent. The other mermaids would ask her why she never spoke to them anymore but she would not divulge a single detail. She kept her thoughts and feelings to herself.

The sapphire mermaid frequented the surface in hopes of seeing the human with sincere eyes again. She often returned to the beach where she had left him. The plants grew, humans came and went with the tides, the sands washed away, the sun rose and fell, but he never walked along the beach. Aqua knew her visits were in vain for she knew that that place wasn't his home, it was just a temporary stop for him. Once he recovered, he would return to his rightful home where she would never be able to find him again. Although Aqua knew all of these things, she couldn't stop herself from revisiting the beach and hoping that maybe he might still be there.

To her dismay, he never returned to the beach, but why would he? He had no reason to return to that quiet shore. He didn't know of her or her desire to see him again.

Aqua had convinced herself that seeing him would somehow be enough. That seeing him would somehow sate her need for him, but deep down, she knew she didn't just want to see him. Truthfully, she wanted to touch him, to talk to him, and to know him. Seeing him would never be enough when she had felt his warm touch and heard his strong voice.

The days passed and each day she went without seeing him she became more withdrawn and sadder than she was the day before. The only thing that offered her solace was to gaze at her Keyblade, which now only reminded her of him.

Aqua quietly admired her Keyblade but she no longer tended to the undersea garden that surrounded it. The blue, silver, and white flora grew gray and inky. The flowers wilted and dropped to the ground, mimicking their keeper's woe and despair. The star's once immaculate shape became distorted and asymmetrical. The flowers grew chaotically and spread with uncertainty without her tender guidance for she only nurtured the key in the stone.

One day, the bombardment of questions and the fierce despondency grew too great and Aqua finally told Xion of her deed. She told her of how the ship had foundered, how she had saved the handsome man with the Keyblade, and how she wished she could see him again to ensure that she had indeed saved his life. However, she didn't tell her of how she really felt. She didn't uncover the depths of her strange, foreign feelings toward the man she had saved.

It wasn't long before the other maiden's with fishtails heard the story of how their princess had selflessly saved a human's life. The rumors and gossip spread like wildfire until one of the mermaids informed Xion that she knew where the Keyblade wielders resided.

"Aqua, come on!' Xion cried excitedly, pulling Aqua off the boulder she was lying across.

The blue-haired mermaid's brow furrowed as she resisted Xion's persistent tugging. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise. Come on," the younger mermaid with ebony locks insisted and continued to haul Aqua away from her rocky perch.

Once Aqua surrendered, they swam through the murky depths until they reached the spot Xion searched for. Once Xion knew they were close to the spot where the Keyblade wielders would be, she led them to the shimmering surface.

Aqua instinctively squinted when they surfaced. The bright, midday sun violated her sensitive sky blue eyes that weren't used to such radiance. After her eyes adjusted, she saw that they were in front of a vibrant marsh that led up to a massive castle.

The citadel rested upon the many streams and channels that led to the ocean. Enormous, moss-covered crags surrounded the creamy golden castle of chains. The cliffs imitated volcanoes but instead of spewing searing lava, the towering escarpments spurted sparkling water into the waterways that led to the lavish castle.

The castle itself looked to be made of pure gold. Its roof shone like the sun and its outer walls mimicked fine cream used for expensive lotions and ointments. Tow-colored chains were expelled from the castle and shackled the nearby cliffs as if to forever hold its place upon the earth.

Never-ending flights of lavender-colored marble steps descended from the citadel and one of them looked as though it actually reached down into the many waterways and rivers that encircled the extravagant fortress. Overlapping, razor-edged domes sat upon the castle's roof and constantly tried to pierce the cyan heavens above.

Beyond the crystal clear windows, Aqua could almost see the sheer, satin curtains and the flawless draperies that guarded the oversized windows. She knew the inside of the castle was probably even more breathtaking than the outside. She could almost see the life-like statues of hard crystalline, the paintings on the milky walls, the fountains that continuously poured water into the air.

"This is where he lives," Xion announced proudly with a smile, clearly hoping that it would make Aqua smile as well.

Everyone in the undersea kingdom missed her smiles; that was why so many had instantly offered to divulge the Keyblade wielders' location. Countless merfolk disclosed the information in hopes that it might cure Aqua's perpetual sadness.

Xion had followed all of the leads until she found the one that proved truthful. Once she discovered the man with features that matched the features of the man Aqua had described, she instantly went to find Aqua so she could show her where the navy-eyed human lived.

"He? You mean?" the sapphire mermaid exclaimed in bewilderment as she looked back and forth between the castle and her companion.

"Mm hmm. This is where the Keyblade wielders reside. This is where they live when they aren't off doing…whatever it is that wielders of the key do," Xion assured with a casual shrug. "When the other mermaids found out that you were sad because you were worried about a human, they wanted to help you. One of them knew where the men with Keyblades lived and I made her show me so where they were that I could take you to him."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Aqua voiced her genuine appreciation for what they had done for her and squeezed her friend's hand tenderly.

* * *

After Xion showed Aqua where the man she saved lived, Aqua spend many days and nights within the water that surrounded the castle of golden chains and shining, bright yellow stones. Each time she would get a bit braver and would travel further up the mossy channels that led to the lowered stairwells of the citadel. At night, she could get closer for she could hide in the shadows that colossal castle and its chains created. It was there that she would sit and watch the young man when he ventured out onto the steps that plunged into the water.

The man with midnight blue eyes would sometimes stand and watch the stars above, while other times he would sit upon the steps and watch the ocean in front of him. Sometimes, she saw him at the castle's main entrance with the other Keyblade wielders. They would spar on the rounded encasement that laid below the stairwell that lead to the enormous, golden entryway of the impenetrable fortress.

When she visited him, she would hide among the reeds and the rushes of the effervescent marsh and streams. Vibrant eyes the same color as the sea would peak out between the greenery and those that caught a glimpse of her blue, ethereal features would simply think she was the water itself.

During her periodic visits, she would sometimes hear the other human's speak of the good deeds and accomplishments of the man she saved. When she heard of the good things he had done, she knew she had done the right thing in saving him. By saving him, she had saved others and she would never regret delivering him from the sea's deadly clutches. Even if she suffered because of it, she would never regret her decision to save him.

Eventually, she learned that his name was Terra. Terra…land… He was named for the land he walked upon just as she was named for the water in which she dwelled. She was happy to know his name but she was sad that he had not had the opportunity to tell it to her himself and that she couldn't offer him hers in return. Aqua would know his name. She would know that he was named after the land but he would never know her name or what she had been named after.

When Aqua wasn't visiting him, she was pestered by her memories of him. She would try to stop going to see him, but she could never stay away from him for long. At first, she thought she only wanted to see him to ensure that he had survived but once she learned that he was indeed alive and well, she continued to go to him.

The mermaid couldn't stay away because she remembered how warm he was, how his warm breath felt on her fingers, how his large hand felt on her face, how his powerful voice boomed inside his sternum, and how it felt when he firmly held her hand. Aqua had never been touched by a human before but she never expected it to feel like that. Her grandmother had told her that humans were warm-blooded but she never imagined they could be that warm or that comforting. The warmest day in the sea could never compare to the warmth that radiated from his body. His touch had felt so good that she was sure she would never feel anything like that again… There would be no substitute for it.

Aqua could remember everything about their brief time together but he couldn't. He didn't remember telling her to stay with him. He didn't remember her caressing his cheek or kissing his forehead. He knew nothing of their meeting. She couldn't even hope for him to dream of her. How could he dream of someone he had no recollection of? Terra could dream of the girl who was there when he awoke, but he could never dream of her for she did not exist in their world.

The world above had no place for someone like her but oh, how she wished that it did. With each visit, Aqua grew more and more attached to Terra and her curiosity and cravings for the upper world intensified. She wanted nothing more than to explore that place that was so foreign to her, the world that was so much larger and much grander than her own. Aqua envied the humans because she felt they had so much more than she did. They had massive ships, puffy clouds, twinkling stars, endless fields of green, wood lands, and so much more that was forever out of her reach.

The blue mermaid had so many questions, questions that even her grandmother didn't have the answers to. Questions that could only be answered through experience but that didn't keep her from pelting her grandmother with questions. Aqua would be asking her questions now, were they not surrounded by tittering mermaids preparing for the ball that was to be held that night.

Aqua fought the urge to groan. She had no desire to be poked and prodded until she looked like a princess. Going to yet another ball was the last thing she wanted to do.

The half human with cobalt fins sat silently within the large dressing room within the palace, her dainty hands folded elegantly in her scaly lap as she watched the other mermaids swim around happily. Gran helped each of them merrily cover themselves in pearls, rhinestones, jewels, and oysters.

Unfortunately, their happiness was not infectious.

Once the old dowager was finished with the other half humans, she gracefully drifted to her somber grandchild.

Gran placed her treasure chest on the dressing table and began skimming through its contents, looking for ornaments, gemstones, and jewelry to decorate Aqua with. The elderly woman grumbled to herself as she tried to find the perfect combination that would highlight Aqua's unique and unusual beauty.

Aqua scrunched her face when she observed the painful accessories and embellishments.

"Don't wrinkle your lovely face like that," her grandmother scolded sternly and carefully placed the expensive accessories she had chosen for Aqua upon the pearly white vanity.

"Gran?" The blue mermaid turned her head to her grandmother.

"Hmm?" the dowager answered curtly and began brushing through Aqua's short hair with a brush made of fish bones and whale teeth.

Aqua winced with each tug as the comb caught in her small tangles. She had a tender head.

"If humans don't drown…they can still die. They die just like we do. Right? " Aqua inquired, staring at her elder through the reflecting surface of the dressing table made of oversized, white clam shells.

Aqua knew humans could drown and she knew they probably died just as merpeople did, but it was hard for her to picture them as anything weak or perishable. They all seemed so…invincible. Terra seemed so strong and indestructible that it looked as though it would be impossible for him to be killed. But Aqua had seen him almost be killed. She had seen him at his most vulnerable and maybe that was why she asked her grandmother such an odd question. Perhaps she hoped that her grandmother would inform her that humans could live forever and that she wouldn't have to worry about her Keyblade wielder's inevitable demise. Maybe she wanted Gran to tell her that so she wouldn't have to worry about what might happen to him on land where she wouldn't be able to save him as she had in the water.

The grandmother's gray brow rose suspiciously before she nodded.

"Yes. Humans must die as we do. Nothing is forever," she answered calmly, spraying tiny pearls throughout Aqua's short tresses. "But their lifespan is much shorter than ours. Some merpeople can live for three hundred years, but when we pass away, we only return to the ocean that bore us. We become the sand on the ocean floor, the particles that float around us, and the foam on the rippling surface of the water. We do not have graves for those we love that have perished."

Aqua watched her Gran attentively as she proceeded to answer her grim question.

"We do not have immortal hearts and we will not live again. We are like the seaweed and the flowers that grown in your garden, once we have been detached from the nourishing ground, we can flourish no more," Gran explained warmly and simply despite the bleak words that fell from her wrinkled lips.

Aqua's grandmother strung long, cascading pearls around her delicate, ivory neck. "Humans are different. They have a heart that lives forever. The heart lives after their bodies have returned to the earth and dissolved to dust. The heart rises up through the crisp, virtuous air beyond the shimmering sea of stars in their sky. Just as we rise out of the water to behold the majesty of their world, their earth, and their land, their hearts rise to an unknown and marvelous region they call Kingdom Hearts. But that is a region we shall never lay eyes upon."

"Why don't we have immortal hearts?" Aqua almost snapped. "I would willingly sacrifice my three hundred years if it meant I could be a human for just one day; to have hope that I could one day know the happiness of Kingdom Hearts."

Gran tenderly took Aqua's discontented face in her hands. "You must not think like that."

The sapphire mermaid sighed and her dazzling eyes fell.

"We are a million times happier down here than they could ever be up there. We are much better off than human beings are on land." The regal woman scoffed contemptibly.

Aqua wretched her face out of her grandmother's cold hands.

"So I will die and become foam that forever sleeps upon the water's surface? I will helplessly and mindlessly float around for eternity. I will never again see beautiful sights like their sun, their moon, our waves, our gardens, or the words in my books. I would never hear laughter, music, the tides, or the singing of birds again. I would never laugh, love, smile, or know happiness ever again. Isn't there anyway someone like me could gain an immortal heart?" she pleaded, placing her hands over her transient heart.

"No," the old mermaid replied coldly. "Unless a man were to love you so much that he would give his life for you; and if his love was anchored solely to you, and if he promised to be true to you forever, then his heart would flow into your body and you would be able to share the future happiness of mankind with him. He would give a heart to you while still managing to maintain his own."

The vital organ in the young mermaid's chest began to palpitate irregularly with each word her grandmother uttered. Her eyes were wide and her mind was in a haze.

"But something like that can never happen," Gran quickly added. "Your fish's tail would only disgust humans. What we find to be so beautiful and glamorous would only turn a human's stomach. Up there, it would be seen as a deformity. They would find your fins ugly for they do not know any better. They prefer their women to have two stout props, called legs, instead of a fish's tail."

Aqua sighed dejectedly as she gazed down at her tail. She always thought she had a lovely fish's tail. It looked as though it was made of precious, transparent gems. Her fish's tail was bright cobalt while her ruffled, billowing tail fin that mimicked sheer, silky satin was ice blue. Her scales were sleek and smooth. They were not bulky or cumbersome. It was an exquisite tail but it was still a tail and Terra wouldn't find her tail alluring. He would want a maiden with lengthy columns to walk upon.

"Be happy, child," begged the elderly half human. "Enjoy your three hundred years as your fellow merfolk do. Three hundred years is plenty of time to live a fulfilling life of joy and happiness. After that, we will gladly welcome the well-deserved rest. But tonight you are going to a court ball. Rise."

Reluctantly, Aqua floated off her cushioned seat and allowed her grandmother to wrap her unsightly tail with a net of sparkling diamonds and pearls. She hated the sheath and immediately began to pull at its unpleasant texture.

"Aqua. Stop," the dowager lightly chastised and swatted at Aqua's hands.

"But they hurt. I'm going to be miserable if I wear this thing all night." Aqua resisted the need to rip the contemptible covering from her form.

The old lady rolled her blue-gray eyes. Her granddaughter always complained of the ornaments and accessories that had been placed upon her since she was a child. Gran tried different kinds of physical decorations but all of them caused the tender girl some form of discomfort.

"Pride must suffer pain," the gray-haired mermaid replied matter of factly and secured the sheath around her once more, adjusting the imperfections Aqua's tugging had created.

Aqua caught a glimpse of herself in the dressing table's looking-glass. She didn't care for all the glamour and splendor. She much preferred simple beauties and not the overbearing majesty she was forced to portray because of her royal blood.

"I must go and tend to the festivities and ensure everything is prepared for this evening. I shall see you later tonight, dear one." The dowager patted her granddaughter's shoulder before swiftly exiting the ornate dressing room.

The mermaid knew she would have to follow her grandmother soon. She would be forced to attend the wearisome ball and she would be required to use her sagacity and her sharp tongue to impress her father's subjects. Aqua was admired for her wit and her way with words. She was known for her intelligence and her articulation. No one was as eloquent or as clever as she. The mermaid was insightful and silver-tongued.

The longer she waited in the empty dressing room the more she dreaded going. She grew more and more anxious. Soon she was once again thinking about the realm above her. Her grandmother's grim words echoed in her head. She couldn't forget about Terra and she couldn't ignore the void she felt in her chest. She couldn't forget the pain and the woe she felt knowing she didn't have a heart like his. The despairing thoughts were too much and she could take no more.

Feverishly and hectically, Aqua shook the pearls and gems out of her unique hair, yanked the string of pearls from her neck, and ripped the diamond and pearl studded sheath from her tail. Once all the glamour and haughty accessories were removed, she snuck out of the palace. She crept between the marble columns and masterfully glided through the shadows undetected.

Aqua fled to her garden and sat amongst the dying flowers and wilted flora. Her tail coiled around her as she stared despairingly at her Keyblade as if it could somehow soothe her, but now even her Keyblade could not console her enduring loneliness and stubborn sorrow. In the distance, she could hear her people's' happiness. She could hear the glee in their laughter and the delight in their words while she sat in her star-shaped flowerbed and wrestled with her insufferable grief and heartache.

Cerulean eyes peered up at the dull undersea sky. Terra was probably happy above. He probably swung his massive Keyblade with ease and effortlessly defended those that he cared about. All of her hopes and dreams rested within his unknowing hands. Hands that she wanted to hold and hands she wished would hold onto her in return. She would gladly place her life in those large, powerful hands. She would willingly trust him with her life and happiness. Aqua would eagerly place all of it in his capable hands.

At that moment, she decided she would put forward anything and everything for him and an immortal heart. While the others carelessly danced and celebrated, she would go to the woman she was taught to fear the most. Aqua would go to the seawitch, for she was the only one that could guide and help her.

With sturdy resolve and determination, Aqua left the safety of her lifeless garden and journeyed along the unmarked path of deadly currents and stale maelstroms that would lead her to the foul enchantress.

Aqua had never traveled to this region of the sea before and she had never visited the sorceress before, but she knew where she resided because she was taught to never go there.

The domain surrounding the witch's lair was dead, barren, and tart. Flora didn't grow in this part of the sea. The ground was made of dreary, gray sand that swirled around like soot. Never ending crevasses marred the desolate surface and sucked unsuspecting sea creatures into its wide, jagged mouth.

To avoid being eaten alive by the gaping gorges, Aqua had to swim as fast as she could. The canyons sucked her in like malnourished vortexes, they pulled at her hair and fins until she felt like her hide would be completely sucked off her bones.

After managing to escape the clutches of the breathing chasms, she had to rest before she ventured further into the unnatural territory. She held her quivering sides and tried to steady her erratic heartbeat.

During the time she spent regaining her strength, she realized that there was no marine life around her. It was as if even the smallest and biggest of fish were afraid to approach the seawitch's dominion. Over time, they had learned to avoid this part of the ocean.

Once her weary muscles stopped trembling and her strength returned, she recommenced her journey to the seahag's den.

The ocean floor spat black bubbles and salivated inky discharge that lazily traveled to the surface. The water became thicker and its texture mimicked that of swamp sludge. The unfriendly consistency of the surrounding liquid made it even harder for Aqua to swim. She clawed and slithered through the boggy grain like an elegant serpent for she could not swim like a fish in this kind of environment.

Bit by bit the sorceresses' grotto came into view. It slumbered within a swampy forest of mold and fungi.

The forest was alive; half-animal half-plant, carnivorous but still absorbing nourishment through the gloomy marsh. Its menacing appearance was almost enough to make her turn back. Almost. It was almost enough to instill enough fear in her to twirl around and never venture to this corrupt domain again. Almost, but the thoughts of Terra and an immortal heart redeemed her courage and ushered her forward.

The malicious trees had vines of thorny tentacles and the flora had mouths with tiny, barbed teeth. The vines' claws reached for her hair while the flowers extended off the ground and bit at her arms and tail fin. Aqua was instantly grateful that she didn't have hair that cascaded to her tail fin for if she did, she would be permanently trapped within the odious trees' vines. They would haul her up to its treetops and wrap their vines around her until the life was choked out of her. The spiky vines would wriggle into her ears and writhe down into her throat until she stilled forever.

Aqua tightly wrapped her arms around herself and desperately tried to avoid the canopy of death above her and the bed of ruination below her.

The flowers screeched at her and gnashed their ragged teeth while the creepers above clawed at her skin and tried to savagely swaddle her into a grueling, unwavering snare.

Countless victims slept forever in the slimy canopy of tentacles above. They firmly held onto the bones of humans who had lost the cruel battle with the unforgiving sea. They clutched onto bizarre skeletons of animals that she had never seen before. Oars, ships, fish, chests, sharks, trinkets, and even the still decaying corpse of a mermaid rested within their tireless grip. The sight of the mermaid was enough to make her stomach lurch.

Eventually, she escaped the lethal forest of living flora and reached the witch's dwelling. Her domain was made out of the sturdy bones of humans, merfolk, animals, and sea creatures.

Within the domicile of skeletons, laid the sea witch.

The sorceress lay across her bone filled labyrinth. Her hair was long, green, and wriggled around her form like snakes. Skulls were scattered around her and gathered by her unusual tail fin while crabs and eels crawled and slithered in and out of the eye holes of the vacant skulls.

Her fish's tail was the same shade of jade as her eyes and her hair. The tail was as wild and untamed as her hair. It was jagged, rough, and looked like an unusual plant with many jutting vines.

Inky corals grew in her ears and coal-black algae gathered sporadically all over her body. Detrimental fins framed the outside of her pupil-less eyes and blood-red rubies were embedded on her forehead and traveled down the sides of her nose to her pale, olive cheeks. Vines similar to the ones in her forest spiraled around her arms and the bottom of her fish's tail.

Abnormally, she wallowed on the ground and strangled the serpents she held in her pallid hands. They didn't bite at her as she choked them with her bare hands and cooed to them as if they were her children.

Before Aqua could speak, the witch rose and observed her with an unreadable expression on her face.

"I know what you want," the seawitch said flatly. "It is very stupid of you but I will help you and let you have your way because it will bring you even more unbearable sorrow, my pretty princess."

The witch smirked, flashing her gaping fangs. "It will amuse me to watch you suffer."

"So you want to get rid of your fish's tail, and you want two sturdy supports to walk upon instead. You want stiff beams so that the Keyblade wielder will fall in love with you and that you can obtain an immortal heart," the sorceress continued calmly before she succumbed to a laughing fit.

The seawitch rolled onto her back again and wallowed within her morbid bone collection as she cackled uncontrollably. Her laugh was shrill, disgusting, and so loud that the snakes in her claws trembled and fell limp.

Once she finished laughing, she levitated off the bone ridden ground and slithered toward the immobile, emotionless mermaid that darkened her doorway.

"I will make a swill for you and you must swim to land with it tomorrow before the sun rises. You must sit down on the shore and drink every single drop of it. Your tail will split up the middle and it will transform into what humans call legs," the seawitch explained and Aqua silently nodded her understanding.

"However, this will cause you intense pain. It will feel as though you are being ripped in half. But do not fret. It is not all bad. All the humans will think that you are the prettiest little thing they ever laid eyes upon. You will retain your fluid, graceful movements. You will not lose your natural grace and you will float effortlessly upon their land. You will put human dancers to shame, but every step you take will be utter agony. It will feel as if you are walking along the razor-sharp tips of a thousand knives." The sorceress watched her snakes to weave in and out of her fingers.

"If you are willing to accept all of this and carry such a burden, I will help you," the enchantress concluded, her soulless eyes leaving her serpents so she could gaze at the undersea maiden with blue tresses.

"Y-Yes. I-I will," Aqua regained the ability to use her voice but her vocal chords trembled uncontrollably, making her usually fluid vocalization shaky and faint.

"Are you sure? Think carefully. Once you take on their form, you can never return to the shape you possess now. Once your legs split, they cannot rejoin; you will never be a mermaid again. You will never return to these depths. You cannot frolic with Xion, you cannot receive your grandmother's wisdom, nor can you grace the halls of your father's palace with your presence. You will never be able to do any of these things again," the seawitch heeded menacingly, her eyes narrowed.

Aqua's eyes fell and she held her head down as she tried to process everything. It was all happening so fast…

"And another thing, if you do not win the young man's love, if he would not give his life for you, if he does not learn to love you with all of his heart, then you will never obtain your precious, immortal heart," the enchantress ominously warned as she closed in on Aqua.

The sapphire mermaid backed away from her until she was backed into a corner made of pure bone.

The witch reached out and dug the long, jagged nail of her index finger into Aqua's chest, right over her heart. The blue half human's blood ran stale as the witch began to hex the organ that fluttered helplessly in her chest.

"The morning after he marries another, your mortal heart will break and you will become foam that rests upon the apex of the cascading waves." The witch's finger glowed and Aqua could feel the curse seeping through her skin and into the vulnerable tissue of her vital organ. The willowy finger bore into her chest until it pricked the tender matter of her heart, finalizing the fatal hex.

The permanent seal of her undying commitment to the Keyblade wielder was engraved into her mortal heart and she could feel the vital organ growing weaker with each palpitation. Her mortal heart was now a ticking clock that counted down the seconds to her demise. With each thump, Terra drew closer to wedding another woman and once he did, her heart would shatter and she would die.

"I understand," Aqua said confidently as the illusionary finger wriggled out of her violated chest. Despite the mounting fear and doubt, she still managed to sound sure and composed.

"Brave little thing, aren't you?" The witch scoffed and crossed her arms over her bare chest.

"Now that we have discussed the stipulations and constraints, I must receive payment and do not expect me to ask for a bagatelle. Why would I demand a trivial possession of no importance?" she mused, levitating off the floor like a wraith.

"What do you want?" Aqua asked skeptically, her blue brow rising.

It would be too easy for the seawitch to ask for some of her father's many treasures. Somehow, Aqua knew the undersea sorceress would have no desire for material possessions like gold, diamonds, or pearls. The witch that hibernated amongst the bones of the dead would crave something much more bizarre.

"You are the most eloquent speaker in the deep. Your silver tongue captivates and charms all those that know you and you presume that you will be able to captivate the Keyblade wielder with it, but your silver tongue will no longer be able to aid you for you must give it to me. It is the finest thing you posses and I will take it in exchange for my potion." The seawitch was not asking for her tongue, they both knew Aqua no longer had a choice. Either Aqua would relent her tongue or the witch would wretch it from her mouth after she mercilessly slaughtered her.

"How will I acquire the undying love of a human without the ability to speak? They will think I am vapid and dull-witted." The sapphire mermaid rubbed her throat, enjoying the hum of her vocal chords while she still could.

Aqua detested the idea of being taken as a fool. She knew she was one of the most clever and brilliant maidens who swam in the ocean's depths. Not only was she articulate, she was quick-witted but if she gave the witch her tongue, no one would ever know those things about her. Terra would never see the part of her that so many thought contained her best qualities…but that was why the witch wanted her silver tongue, her tongue was what made her special, it was what so many found alluring, it was her charm and the seawitch would take it.

"You will still have your undeniable beauty, your supple grace, your expressive eyes of the purest sapphire; surely all of that will be enough to enchant a simple-minded human male. Without question, the daughter of the great Sea King will be able use her remaining charm to enslave a young man's heart." The seawitch waved her hand dismissively.

The blue-haired mermaid wrapped her arms around herself and tightly closed her eyes.

"Awe, has the pretty little princess's courage abandoned her?" the seawitch teased bitterly.

"I didn't say that," Aqua countered in a low tone, shaking her head.

"Then stick out your tongue so that I can cut it out of your mouth. Once I have received my payment, I will make the potion for you."

Without hesitation, Aqua opened her mouth for the wicked enchantress.

With a smirk, the witch floated to the ground and began skimming through her bone collection until she discovered a halved jaw of a great white shark. She took the jaw like a dagger and mumbled an incantation over the jagged mandible. The already sharp teeth sharpened further and brought forth an unholy, green glow.

The seawitch roughly wretched Aqua's tongue from her mouth and Aqua could instantly feel her entire mouth going numb.

The sorceress's mouth moved as she continued the abominable incantation. The silver tongue began to glow as it absorbed the spell. With her tongue pulled out as far as it could possibly go, the witch held the shark's divided jaw over her green head and in one swift moment, brought the unorthodox cutting tool to Aqua's innocent tongue.

Aqua winced and waited for the pain that would occur from having her tongue severed from her mouth. She held her eyes tightly closed and felt the slight jerk as the shark's jaw ripped through the muscle in her mouth that allowed her to speak.

The pain was sharp and shot through her entire mouth. Her teeth chattered and her lips quivered as her entire mouth panged, cramped, and throbbed.

Trembling ivory hands covered her mouth to try to hold in the massive amounts of blood that would surely surge from her damaged muzzle.

Slowly, Aqua's eyes reopened and the pain ceased.

Cerulean eyes went wide.

She timidly reopened her mouth but blood didn't gush from her mouth.

Bewildered and puzzled, she gazed at the witch as if to ask why she wasn't bleeding and why the pain had come to an abrupt halt.

To her complete shock, Aqua could feel a tongue inside her mouth but a glowing tongue coated in precious shiny grayish white metal also rested within the witch's dirty palm. Once the dreadful spell had been cast upon her tongue and once it had been amputated, it had _literally _turned into a silver tongue and another imitation tongue had sprouted in her mouth to take its place.

_What is happening?_ her mind cried for the question could no longer fall from her lips.

"You now have the counterfeit tongue of an aphasic; a mute. Your tongue is mine but the mute's tongue is yours. You cannot speak with it, but it will keep you from bleeding to death before you reach the surface. It will also numb the pain of losing your own tongue. You are lucky that I am feeling merciful," the witch explained coldly, sounding far from merciful as she gazed at the precious token she had taken from the princess's mouth.

The witch erected a cauldron of bones within the center of the room so that she could begin preparing the mystical potion. With the same cutting tool she used to cut out Aqua's physical and metaphysical tongue, she sliced open her hand and allowed her black blood to ooze into her cauldron. Her blood would make the potion sharp, potent, and precise so the mermaid's tail would be split for all time.

Steam rose from the brew and formed monstrous shapes that scampered across the room. The shapes and specters were so frightening the mute mermaid couldn't stand to look upon them.

The witch constantly and continually threw objects, artifacts, and many other things Aqua didn't recognize into the boiling pot. The brew hissed, moaned, and cried like miserable spirits. It bellowed like immoral beasts and fictional monsters that weren't capable of existing.

When the seawitch stopped tending to the tonic, the noises stopped and the diabolical steam dispersed and harmlessly floated to the surface.

Aqua peered into the pot and saw that the mixture was as crystal clear as the purest water. The tonic was so clear and pure that it softly glowed and glittered like angel's wings.

"Here. It is yours." The green-haired witch ushered the potion into a rounded vial.

Aqua nodded, took the vial, and looked at the vicious witch as if to say 'thank you' before she swiftly swam out of the abyss.

The trees and flowers didn't harm her on her way out, for they saw the loathsome potion in her hands. They recoiled and shriveled as they desperately tried to flee from the concoction and the mermaid who held it so close to her heart.

The mermaid flew through the atrocious forest and the boggy marsh and finally soared over the deleterious chasms that no longer tried to swallow her whole for even they feared the witch's brew.

King Eraqus's palace was now as silent as she was. The luminous lights of green, yellow, pink, and purple that brightened the castle's extravagant halls were extinguished. The ball had ended. The palace and all those within it were asleep.

Aqua couldn't enter the palace nor could she wake those that she cared for. She would let them slumber peacefully within the magnificent walls because she was mute and she had made the decision to leave them forever.

Her cursed heart felt like it would break preemptively. Aqua was miserable in this world but that didn't mean that she didn't love her family or her friends. She would miss them all terribly but she knew that she couldn't stay in this world with them. Her misery was contagious and she didn't wish it upon any of her jovial friends. She wouldn't wish her woeful existence in the world below upon anyone. It would be better for everyone if she left.

Before she rose to the surface, she went to each of her friend's gardens and even to her grandmother's flowerbed and took a flower from each one so that she might always have a piece of them with her.

Once she made a bouquet of their flora, Aqua gazed at the palace once more and ascended through the gloomy, midnight waters.

When Aqua reached Terra's castle, the sun hadn't risen but she knew she was running out of time. The sun would rise soon and she needed to drink the potion before it did.

Hurriedly, Aqua swam up the streams and channels that led to the citadel. She rapidly swam to the steps of flawless marble that descended into the water. They were the same steps that Terra frequented.

Carefully, Aqua crawled out of the water and onto the marble steps. She tenderly placed her bouquet on the steps and shifted upon the steps as she tried to sit comfortably upon their frigid surface. The steps were bitterly cold and stung her fins when she sat upon them.

The moon was full and bright. It offered a luminance that would almost make the sun jealous.

Aqua held the potion tightly in her porcelain hands while the potion glowed almost as brightly as the moon against her translucent skin. She watched it bubble and simmer within the vial and she started to have second thoughts. She wouldn't be able to tell her family what happened but she could still go back to the palace. They would welcome her and maybe she could do as her grandmother suggested. Maybe she could learn to be happy with her three hundred years…

She could return to her home but she suddenly remembered the hex upon the organ that faintly drummed in her chest. She brought her fingertips to her chest as she thought of the curse upon her heart. Thinking of the hex made her think of Terra and her commitment to him. Aqua could return to her palace but she knew she wouldn't truly be happy there. Deep down she knew that the only things that could ever make her completely happy would be life on the land, an immortal heart, and Terra. A life without any of those things would be empty and she didn't want an empty life when she was so close to the life she longed for.

Cobalt orbs closed tightly and Aqua began to think of Terra and how much she wanted to be with him and how badly she wanted an immortal heart…the heart he would give her.

The cork popped off the top of the glass vial but she couldn't think of the potion or the overwhelming pain she would surely endure once she drank it. She couldn't think of the inevitable agony but she could think of Terra. Aqua thought of his eyes, his warm touch, and his powerful voice as she brought the vial to her lips.

After Aqua managed to calm her sizzling nerves, she held her head back, tilted the vial upward, and let the blindingly white fluid fill her mouth.

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_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **_

_**Again I would like to remind everyone that this is not Disney's The Little Mermaid (obviously). Because the movies is based on the Hans Christian Anderson story, there will be similarities of course but I am wanting to point out this isn't based on the Disney movie. It is based on the original Hans Christian Anderson story and it is going to be darker and more mature at times. Not many people know that the original story of The Little Mermaid is not a happy one. When I was little I found the book in the library and begged my mom to check it out for me. So we took it home and read it and…needless to say it wasn't what I expected, but my story won't be exactly like that one! **_

_**Anyway! Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

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**Chapter 3**

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The tonic didn't have a taste. It cascaded over her tongue and effortlessly slithered down her throat like the eels and snakes in the seawitch's den.

After the first gulp, Aqua began to feel the ripping of her tail fin. The tearing started at the bottom and inched up her tail with each swallow. The invisible blade sawed through her at an agonizingly slow pace until she drank the whole potion.

Once she drank the final drop, the pain became too much. Her head spun and her vision muddled. The torment intensified until she had no choice but to let it conquer her. Aqua closed her eyes and let unconsciousness take her in order to put an end to the overwhelming pain.

* * *

The blinding sun rose and the gulls began to call. The flowing waves crashed onto the marble steps and the mist from the tides caused her body to twitch, but she couldn't regain consciousness.

Aqua could almost feel something on her. Her body could feel leathery fabric being draped over it. The unusual, foreign texture on her delicate skin caused her to jolt awake. Her eyes ripped open only to quickly reclose as the sun violated them.

"I'm sorry," a strong, male voice apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Gradually, her cerulean eyes reopened and fluttered as they adjusted to the daunting daylight. How long had she been unconscious? Aqua blinked away the brightness and her eyes focused on the form towering over her. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the form had brown hair and dark blue eyes. The features became more and more pronounced until she recognized _him._

The man with chocolate-brown hair gave a small grin as his armor cruelly reflected the suns rays.

Realization hit hard when she noticed his body was adorned in armor. Aqua suddenly remembered she wasn't wearing any clothing and it suddenly became humiliatingly clear why the leather fabric had been placed over her.

Aqua's face heated but she didn't recognize the sensation. Her blood had never been warm enough to cause her to blush before. Had the seawitch's brew given her warm blood as well? Was the swill strong enough to make her cold blood warm? Had it actually turned her into a human? Was the form she had taken that graphic? How human was she?

Genuinely frightened and a bit hysterical, she sat up and peered down at her tail. The maiden held the cape to her bare form and peeled the cloak off her tail but her tail was gone. Underneath the shadowy, leather shawl was a pretty pair of porcelain legs and dainty feet, the prettiest little appendages any woman could ever hope for.

Aqua wiggled her toes and she felt a sharp pain similar to the one she felt when she drank the potion. She wasn't even standing yet and she was already feeling the discomfort the witch had warned her of.

"Are you hurt?" Terra asked softly when he saw her wince after she wriggled her toes.

The foreign heat graced her cheeks once more when he spoke to her. She was still very embarrassed that he had found her unclothed, but she was glad that he was chivalrous enough to cover her with what she assumed was his cape.

Aqua shook her head and desperately tried to will the heat in her cheeks away.

"Where did you come from?" he inquired and slowly helped her sit upright, his large hand placed between her shoulder blades.

The mermaid exhaled harshly and shook her head again.

She felt like a fool. She had never been this embarrassed in her life. She wanted to look at him but she was too ashamed to.

"Don't want to talk about it, huh?" Terra said kindly as he rubbed her exposed back compassionately. "Can you tell me your name then?"

Aqua gazed up at him tenderly with sparkling sorrow-filled eyes but she didn't speak, she couldn't speak.

Terra's brow furrowed in confusion.

Aqua gripped her throat and shook her head.

"You can't talk?" the young man asked, his brow straightening with understanding.

Her eyes fell to the shining, marble steps and she shook her head again. It hurt to admit that she was mute, it hurt more than she ever though it would. Somehow, confessing to Terra made it traumatically irrefutable that she would never speak again.

"Are you sure you aren't hurt?" he asked again.

Aqua smiled at him and nodded.

"I think I should take you to the infirmary anyway…" the Keyblade bearer stood and held his hand out for her.

_Oh, no. _

The sapphire mermaid was eager to walk and stand for the first time but she also knew doing so would cause her pain. Just wiggling her toes had caused her feet to sting.

Aqua blew her bangs out of her face and secured the cape around her body. She took another deep breath before she shifted so she could place one of her feet on the marble ground.

The marble was cool but it felt like jagged glass was going to pierce her feet to bits once she put weight on them. One ivory hand held the cape firmly around her bust and she gave her other appendage to Terra. His hand wrapped firmly around hers and he began pulling her to her feet.

Timidly, she placed one foot on the ground and her breathing quickened as she slowly rose to her feet.

It hurt. Needles were savagely poking and prodding at the sensitive flesh of her new feet but it was bearable. Her foot flattened against the floor and she brought her other leg out in front of her so she could stand on it as well. Once both her feet were properly on the ground, the pain became too much. Needles turned into shape knives and her knees gave. If she had a tongue, would have wailed.

"Whoa!" Terra swiftly looped his arms under hers and warily brought her to his chest to keep her from falling to the ground. "Yeah, we are definitely going to the infirmary," he announced as he swept his arm under the crook of her knees and lifted her up bridal style.

Terra carefully shifted the mermaid in his arms and allowed her to meld against his chest. Aqua was weak but she was pretty sure she could walk if she tried…The pain was just more intense than she had expected, but she didn't really mind Terra carrying her...

_It's actually…nice, _she thought as she impulsively nestled against him.

"Comfortable?" he questioned gallantly and Aqua nodded against his trunk.

Although she was thoroughly enjoying being in Terra's arms, she wanted to tell him that she could probably walk, that he didn't have to carry her, that she would be okay eventually, and that there was no cure for her ailment but she couldn't.

"Do you remember what happened to you? Where you are from? Anything?" he questioned again with vast amounts of concern while he took long strides up the marble steps that led back to the palace.

Aqua knew he was asking more out of worry than out of curiosity. He wanted to know so he could help her, but she couldn't tell him, so she simply shrugged.

"Too many questions?" Terra asked but it was more of a statement than a question.

Not sure how she should respond, Aqua chose to just smile at him.

"Did someone hurt you?" His tone went stern.

The young woman in his arms shook her head back and forth.

_Well…kind of but I wouldn't really say the seawitch_** hurt** _me…_

Terra chuckled. "You know, this would be a lot easier if you could talk."

_Yeah. It would be. I'm sorry._

Aqua instantly became more self-conscious. This might be harder than she thought. Terra was already becoming annoyed with her mutism.

Unable to do anything else, Aqua smiled and nodded that she agreed.

The Keyblade wielder marched them to the colossal dual doors that led to the massive castle of gold and chains. When they reached the entrance, she could see two bulking men guarding the door. One with short curly hair and one with long, black hair pulled back in a ponytail and aggressive sideburns along his powerful jaw.

"Aren't you supposed to be on the training field, Terra?" the larger guard with crimson hair asked as they approached.

"Yes, but…something came up." Terra's eyes darted down to the scantily clad girl in his armored arms.

Aqua was blushing again and she used Terra's cape to hide her face.

"Am I seeing things, Aeleus?" the black-haired man asked in disbelief and he too surveyed the ethereal girl.

"Look, I really don't have time for this. Just let me in. I have to take her to the infirmary," Terra grumbled impatiently.

"Is she hurt?" Aeleus questioned, his thick, bushy brow creasing.

"I don't know. That's why I'm trying to get inside," Terra answered as Aqua peeked over the shawl she was using to shield herself.

"All right," Aeleus relented. "Help me with the doors, Dilan."

Dilan nodded and helped Aeleus open the massive doors of the castle for them.

Once inside, Terra took her though an extravagant lobby of alabaster walls and gold trim. The floor was coated in circular designs of ultramarine and silver.

"Terra!" a gravely voice called and Aqua could feel Terra's entire body tense.

"What now?" the Keyblade wielder huffed under his breath.

Aqua peered up at him. '_What's wrong?' _her expressive eyes asked.

"Don't ask," he replied softly but curiosity got the best of her and she gazed over his bronze shoulder anyway.

Another human was advancing toward them, he was older with dark skin, a gray goatee, and yellow-orange eyes. Aqua had never seen eyes that color before, they frightened her a bit and she instantly shrank behind Terra's shoulder.

The elderly human lurched toward them, his hands woven behind his bowed back as he closed in on them.

"What is the meaning of this? You should be out in the training field with the others. I should go tell Ansem the Wise this instant! You know better than to—" the man with menacing yellow-orange eyes' scolding broke off the instant he saw the pair of baby blue eyes peeking over Terra's shoulder at him.

Slowly and reluctantly, Terra turned to show the aged man the reason he wasn't on the training ground with the others. Yellow-orange eyes widened at the sight of the blue girl wrapped in a cape who was draped over Terra's powerful arms.

"What is that?" the older man hissed in bewilderment, pointing a withered finger at the maiden Terra held protectively.

"I-I found her on the steps by the ocean, Master Xehanort."

"Like…_that?_" Xehanort croaked in response, referring to Aqua's less than modest apparel.

"Yes," Terra replied while Aqua's eyes darted back and forth between the two men.

"Who are you?" the frightening man spat and took at step toward the mermaid.

This man made her nervous and she was pretty sure even if she_ did_ still have the ability to speak, she wouldn't have been able to.

"I don't think she can speak," Terra explained.

"Is that true? Are you dumb?" the elderly man rasped, his permanent scowl deepening.

Meekly, the blue-haired girl nodded. She quickly found she hated admitting she had lost the ability to speak.

"Where is she from? How did she get here? Who even is she?" Xehanort's questions boomed off the towering castle walls.

"I don't know, but I do know she's having trouble walking. I think she might be hurt so I wanted to take her to Aerith," Terra stated calmly and bobbed his head in the direction of the winding stairway ahead of them.

"Hurry up and take her. The quicker she recovers, the quicker we can get rid of her. This esteemed castle is no place for a lamentable foundling," the elderly master hissed and glared at the intruder.

_Foundling?! _

"It would disgrace King Ansem if word got out that we were taking peasants in off the streets," Xehanort condemned and continued to eye the interloper. "Inferior peasants from all over will be on our doorstep begging for a place to in the royal household if they find out we are taking in outcasts."

"I'm going to take her to the infirmary now," the bronze warrior announced stoically and turned to make his way to the infirmary.

"I shall inform his majesty of the infiltrator so we can decide what needs to be done with her," Xehanort announced as Terra continued to walk through the foyer of gold and vibrant, multicolored stain glass.

"I'm sorry about that. Xehanort is our King's most trusted advisor and he can be a bit…_much _sometimes," Terra struggled to find the right words to describe the zealous counselor.

As Aqua was carried down the halls, she realized she had never seen so much gold, marble, and silver in her life. Every inch of this castle was plastered in precious metals, sparkling mirrors, and shimmering chandeliers of priceless crystal. The soaring, concave ceilings were covered in ancient, abstract murals while the corridors were lined with lifelike statues of gold and marble. Fountains that spat sparkling jets into the glass rotunda of the ceilings were scattered throughout the vacant foyers and saloons. Everything was an absolute pleasure to look at. Aqua's palace was luxurious and extravagant as well but it wasn't anything like this.

Terra jiggled the handle of one of the doors loose and used his back to open the door.

"Aerith?" he called as he pulled them into the infirmary. "Are you in here?"

"Over here!" a delicate voice sounded from deeper within the bright institution.

Oversized window's lined the walls and many identical beds were scattered throughout the chamber.

A radiant young woman with emerald eyes and chestnut hair that was woven into a braid that traveled down to her hips pulled back a bleached curtain that surrounded one of the beds and approached them. Her body was adorned in a pale pink dress that mimicked a corset at the top and fanned out over her hips at the bottom. Thin straps clung to her bare shoulders instead of sleeves. A white apron was wrapped around her waist while a black band wound around her neck several times and created a bow like necklace.

"Oh!" she cried in astonishment when she saw the girl Terra was carrying.

"Who's this?" Aerith asked sweetly as she lifted the bottom of her dress and strolled toward them.

"Um…I'm not sure," Terra rambled nervously. "I just found her out on the steps by the ocean."

"Is she hurt?" the green-eyed girl inquired and smiled warmly at Aqua.

"She says she isn't but she can't speak or walk. I think she might even have amnesia."

Aerith nodded her understanding. "Sit her on the bed and I'll examine her."

Tenderly, Terra sat Aqua on one of the snowy infirmary beds.

Aqua had to admit she liked him better this way. She liked him animated instead of lying lifelessly on a beach.

Aerith stood over her and her hands began to glow causing Aqua to flinch.

"It's okay," Terra assured her from the his position at the foot of the bed. "Aerith is our healer. She's very nice. She isn't like Xehanort."

It was a vague explanation but she nodded nervously and sat still for Aerith. Aerith's hands called forth a green glow and she ran her hand over Aqua's bare legs. Instinctively, Aqua jerked. Her feet and legs were very sensitive.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Aerith quickly apologized. "Do they hurt?"

Aqua pinched her fingers together, signaling that they only hurt a little.

Aerith's hands massaged a Cure spell into Aqua's legs and it actually numbed the pain a bit. The sapphire mermaid could still feel the dull prickling when she touched her but the spell Aerith used did lessen the discomfort.

Gran had told her of some humans being able to summon powerful magics but she had never actually witness it! It was amazing. Aerith's hands illuminated and glistened the most beautiful shades of yellow and green as they wandered over Aqua's legs. Aerith's magic wasn't like the sea witch's…

"Odd. I don't feel anything wrong with your legs. I don't feel any strains, sprains, or broken bones. So whatever you're feeling will probably go away after a bit." The young healer rubbed Aqua's legs a bit more.

Once Aerith was finished with Aqua's legs, she moved to her head. "May I?"

The mute young woman nodded and smiled for Aerith to continue.

Aeirth placed both of her hands on each side of Aqua's head and lightly massaged her temples with her index fingers as she searched for nonexistent injuries. When Aeirth couldn't discover any head injuries, she sighed and placed one hand on Aqua's back and another on her chest. Aqua assumed she was listening to her heartbeat.

"How long have you been a mute?" Aerith inquired as she moved in front of Aqua and motioned for her to open her mouth.

The mermaid shrugged and repressed a shiver as she remembered the last time someone coaxed her into opening her mouth. Despite her unpleasant memory, she opened her mouth for Aerith.

The girl with emerald eyes did her best to examine her throat and tongue. "I don't see anything physically wrong with her. She has a slight heart murmur but that's probably something she had before her little…_incident."_

_A heart murmur...is she talking about the curse that witch put on me? You mean you can actually hear _**it**, Aqua's mind panicked as she placed her hand over the hexed organ in her chest.

"But it was like she couldn't walk. She tried to stand and her legs gave. That's why I carried her here," Terra argued, crossing his arms and skeptically staring at the girl on the bed who was wearing his cape as some form of dress.

When Aqua noticed the odd look he was giving her, she only smiled shyly at him.

"Did you give her a chance to try again?" Aerith asked in a sing-song voice and tapped the armor that coated his chest.

"No…" he confessed, his dark blue eyes falling to the floor.

"Shock and trauma can cause the body to do unusual things. She should be fine once she recovers from whatever it is that happened to her," the young woman with chestnut hair explained optimistically.

"Will she recover the ability to speak?" Terra asked and gave Aqua a quick glance.

"I see no reason why not, but mutism is a weird thing. It depends on if it was caused by trauma or if it was caused by damage to her vocal chords, throat, lungs, or tongue," Aerith explained.

The Keyblade bearer nodded and sat next to Aqua on the bed. He kept surveying her until Aqua finally mouthed, _'What?'_

"I'm sorry…I just have this weird feeling that I have seen you before I just can't figure out…" Terra raved as he tilted his head and squinted his dark eyes.

_"I want to see her! I want to see her!"_ an excited voice rang outside the infirmary door.

_"Kairi! Slow down!"_ Another female voice cried as a young woman with brilliant red hair burst into the room.

The sudden noises caused Aqua to jump.

Terra placed a hand on top of hers and whispered, "You're okay."

"Oh, the servants were right!" the redheaded girl cried when she saw Aqua. "She is beautiful!"

"Isn't she, Naminé?" the young woman with scarlet locks inquired as another girl almost identical to the redhead meekly entered the room. The only difference Aqua could see in the first girl from the second was that the second had golden tresses instead of red ones. The blonde was calmer than the redhead and tenderly held a sketch pad in her slender, milky arms.

Aqua recognized them almost instantly. They were the girls she saw the night she first saw Terra. They were the girls who had been on the ship before it sank, only they were much prettier up close.

Naminé nodded as a third woman with blackened tresses barreled in behind them.

"Don't you think she is pretty, Tifa?" the redhead asked the woman with lengthy raven locks and big, brown eyes.

"Yes, she is lovely, Your Majesty," Tifa replied breathlessly, tired from chasing the almost identical girls down the limitless hallways.

Aqua noticed the tone and feeling between Tifa and the two girls. Tifa was obviously one of their ladies in waiting. Aqua recognized the relationship almost for she was forced to have many of them back home. Honestly, Aqua only wanted Xion to be her faithful and loyal companion but Gran insisted she have a whole regal flock to tend to her wants and needs.

"Word travels fast here," Aerith whispered into Aqua's ear. "You'll get use to it."

"Good morning, Your Majesties," Terra greeted formally as he stood and bowed to the girls.

"Good morning, Terra!" the crimson princess responded cheerfully and walked to the infirmary bed Aqua rested upon.

"Good morning," Naminé addressed Terra coolly with a small smile, her blue eyes following her twin across the room.

"Tifa, look! She is like a real life mermaid!" the redhead cried excitedly and Aqua blanched.

Instinctively, Aqua gazed down at her lower half to make sure that her legs were still there and that her tail hadn't somehow grown back. Relief swept over her when she saw that both of her ivory legs were still accounted for.

"Hi!" the lively girl continued and took Terra's place next to the blue-haired stranger. "My name is Kairi. And the quiet one with blonde hair is my twin sister, Naminé. What's your name?"

"She can't speak, Your Grace," Aerith divulged and Kairi's radiant smile fell.

"You can't talk?" Kairi asked sincerely yet solemnly. She looked disappointed.

Aqua shook her head but she smiled to show them that her not having a voice was something that they shouldn't dwell on. She didn't want them to think she was bitter or upset about being mute. Yes, Aqua wasn't crazy about not being able to speak anymore and it was a major adjustment, but having legs and interacting with humans was proving to be a bigger adjustment.

"Can you write?" Naminé asked as she took a step forward.

The mermaid's face was heating again. This was so embarrassing. Not only was she mute, but she couldn't do the simple things most humans did. In the underworld, reading and writing were not necessary or a part of their daily life or even their culture.

Meekly, Aqua shook her head. Again.

"Then how will we know your name?" Kairi inquired apprehensively.

Aqua held her smile and shrugged, trying to portray that she didn't mind and that they could do as they pleased.

"You don't need to know her name," Xehanort barked as he slithered into the infirmary. "We are sending her back where she came from immediately."

A regal man entered the room behind Xehanort and everyone and except Aqua and the twins stood, bowed, or curtsied. Instantly, Aqua realized this was the King, Xehanort had mentioned earlier.

Understanding the importance of royalty and rank, Aqua wanted to show her respect and bow to the king as well but she wasn't sure if she would be able to do so properly with her new legs. To avoid falling and making a fool of herself in front of the ruler, Aqua held her place on the bed but she inclined her head in submission.

The King wore a long crimson cape with golden trim. A segmented piece of charcoal armor was placed over his chest and abdomen, likely to keep him safe from assassination attempts. Underneath the protective covering, he wore a long black cloak that flowed to his feet and it was also outlined in gold. Finally, he wore a brown belt with three pouches that descended diagonally across his hip. His eyes were orange and the hair that traveled down the back of his neck was as golden as the hair on his jaw.

"That is her, Your Majesty." Xehanort pointed to the girl wrapped in a leather cape.

"Where are you from, child?" the monarch's voice boomed as he marched toward the trespasser.

"She cannot speak, my Lord," Terra explained for her.

"Naminé, offer her your sketch pad," King Ansem instructed bluntly.

"She is illiterate, Father," Naminé replied, causing the ruler to grimace.

"Well, that does complicate things now, doesn't it," the monarch said dejectedly but smiled at Aqua.

The mermaid shrugged playfully and returned his smile. Her exuberant behavior caused the King to chuckle a little.

"Tifa, tell one of the servants to bring us my maps so that she can inform us of where she is from." Ansem cast his gaze back to the strange maiden. "Once we figure out where you are from, I will make the proper arrangements for you. Do not fret, I will ensure that you are able to return to your loved ones."

They didn't understand, not that she really expected them to. How could she tell them that she couldn't go home? That it was impossible for her to do so and that she had nowhere else to go. Aqua inwardly cursed the witch for taking her tongue out of spite. The witch knew that this would happen and Aqua just knew she was thoroughly enjoying watching her squirm.

Aqua held her hands up defensively and began aggressively shaking her head back and forth.

"What is it?" Kairi asked sweetly and leaned toward the blue girl so she could pay closer attention to her.

Aqua blew her hair out of her face in vexation causing the twins to giggle and Terra to smile.

After taking a deep breath, the mermaid shook her head again.

"You don't want to return to your home?" Terra asked suspiciously, his smile fading and his brown brow furrowing.

Aqua looked directly into Terra's eyes and shook her head back and forth.

"Maybe… Maybe she can't go home," Tifa mentioned as she thought aloud.

Aqua feverishly bobbed her head in approval.

"Father, we can't send her away. What if she has nowhere else to go?" Naminé sympathized and placed a dainty hand on the King's arm.

"Let her stay, Father!" Kairi pleaded. "We don't know what happened to her. She could have been in some awful accident. What if she was in a shipwreck like we were? If it weren't for the kindness of others, Terra wouldn't be here right now!"

Kairi's statement made Aqua's heart ache, causing her to sigh heavily.

She knew it was selfish of her to want credit for saving Terra's life when she had willingly given him to the maiden on the beach but she couldn't help it, she didn't like the fact that Kairi was crediting that maiden with saving Terra's life when it had actually been she that had saved his life. The other maiden simply discovered him. She didn't save him from drowning, she wasn't the one that held his head above water so he could breathe, she wasn't the one that begged him to live and spoke tenderly to him as he wrestled with death, and she wasn't the one that took him to safety.

Aqua almost wanted to huff and pout like the princess she was but she chose against it, pouting and huffing had never been her style.

"There are pirates in the seas surrounding our kingdom…" Aerith stated grimly. "Terra _did _find her unclothed with the inability to walk and speak…"

Aqua didn't like what Aerith was suggesting but she couldn't exactly dispute it. While chewing her bottom lip she decided it would be best to let them think what they wanted…even if it meant Terra would form the opinion that she was damaged goods. He would probably observe her as a violated peasant that had been used and disposed of by marauders…but she couldn't deny it, even if she could, what would she tell them? She couldn't exactly say that she was a mermaid that wanted an immortal heart and Terra's love so badly that she had gone to a seawitch to obtain a brew that would give her legs.

_I bet the seawitch is really getting a kick out of this…_

"Oh, you poor thing!" Kairi took hold of one of Aqua's dainty hands, holding her soft hand to her chest sympathetically.

_It's better this way. It's better this way, _the mermaid's head chanted like mantra. _They can't know the truth. Let them think what they want. It will be more believable that way. It will be easier if you just go along with it…no matter how degrading it is…_

It was becoming painfully clear that Aqua's life as an artificial human would be completely different from her life as a mermaid. In the ocean she was a refined, articulate princess but on land she would be a mute, defiled peasant.

"Father, you have to let her stay. At least until she recovers," Naminé concurred and watched Aqua with troubled eyes.

The sovereign sighed and glanced back at his trusted advisor. "I cannot refuse them both."

Xehanort scowled. "Very well. But I must suggest that we at least_ try_ to keep the nature of this humiliating incident under wraps. No one needs to know that we are harboring a dishonored foundling."

_I am not a dishonored foundling…_

"It shall stay within these walls. No one need know of her dubious past. If anyone asks, Terra found her and we are merely nursing her back to health. That is all anyone needs to know," Ansem the Wise declared, complying with his daughters' demands.

"Thank you, Papa!" Kairi cried and hugged her father.

"Tifa, will you help the twins find something respectable for her to wear? She cannot roam these halls dressed in…a cape?" the King inquired as he tried to determine the origin of Aqua's bizarre attire.

Terra and Aqua blushed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Tifa replied with a bow. "I'll see to it at once."

"Enjoy your stay, my lady." Ansem cast his gaze to Aqua and she bowed her head in response. "I expect to see you all at dinner," he added before turning to leave.

"Father, may…our visitor join us?" Naminé asked before the King could fully leave the room.

King Ansem glanced over his shoulder and examined the mermaid momentarily. "I see no reason why not."

Naminé and Kairi exchanged glances and smiled.

"Now you must excuse me. I have work to do," the monarch stated as he exited the infirmary.

"Our royal household and Ansem's reign have an image to uphold and I will not have it spoiled by a waif," Xehanort whispered before he too exited the institution.

Once Xehanort's back was turned, Aqua stuck her tongue out at the cruel man.

Kairi tittered uncontrollably and Naminé used her sketch pad to hide her smile.

"Expressive, little thing isn't she?" Tifa chuckled and folded her arms.

"I suppose she would have to be considering she cannot speak," Aerith said with a shrug.

Aqua secured Terra's cape around her body and shifted on the bed so that her vulnerable feet hovered over the hazardous ground. Automatically, Terra rushed to her side and offered her his hand but Aqua was determined to do this on her own. She shook her head and held her hand up to halt his advance.

"Are you sure?" Terra asked considerately, still leaving his hand out for her in case she decided to take it.

The mermaid nodded and grinned at him.

After taking a deep breath, Aqua planted her feet on the ground and stood. It was just as the witch said it would be; utter agony. Her legs quivered and begged to buckle from the intense and sudden pain. Aqua had managed to stand but it was torture to do so. She was standing upon the unforgiving tips of a thousand needles but she bore it willingly.

With a heavy sigh, the mermaid adjusted her posture and stood upright with poise and dignity. The longer she stood, the deeper the needles delved into the bottoms of her feet. Aqua knew she would eventually grow accustomed to the pain and would be able to accept it with time but at that moment, all she wanted to do was scream in anguish and fall back onto the bed.

"Do you think you can walk to our chamber?" Kairi questioned once Aqua appeared to be stable.

A faux smile graced Aqua's lips as she bobbed her head.

"Terra, I think you should come with us in case she can't," Naminé suggested as she watched Aqua's weary expression and trembling legs.

"I'd planned on it." Terra placed a hand on Aqua's back to steady her.

"Just follow us." Kairi skipped out of the room.

To everyone's complete shock, when Aqua followed, her steps were light and nimble. They watched in awe as she moved with graceful, swaying movements. She did not limp or stagger; she was light-footed and fluid despite the intense, unbearable pain that surged though her tender feet. Aqua just knew they were bleeding. She even looked back to make sure she wasn't leaving a trail of bloody footprints in her wake.

Aqua climbed carpeted steps, waltzed over marble floors, and strolled over sleek wooden flooring, but the only texture she felt was the bitter slicing of the soles of her feet. After she ascended yet another curved stairwell, she could take no more. Aqua leaned against the nearest wall to find relief but the pain didn't cease.

Her ivory hand found Terra's arm to let him know she was struggling.

"Hey!" the warrior called ahead to Naminé and Kairi. "She needs a minute."

_I need more than a minute. _

Aqua helplessly shifted on her feet but she knew her only source of relief would be if she got off them all together. Gracefully, she slid down the wall and detached her suffering feet from the barbed floor. When Aqua's hands touched the smooth, shiny flooring, she realized how different the texture felt against her hands. Her feet screamed that the floor was made of brutal, jagged spikes, but her hands told her that it was gentle, sleek crystalline limestone.

Apprehensively, Aqua began to massage her aching feet but the ministrations did little for her overwhelming discomfort.

_Nothing is going to help this… I am just going to have to learn to deal with it. _

The young woman held her head down and shook her head dejectedly. Accepting defeat, she rose to her feet again, this time not expecting the pain to subside or lessen.

As expected, the pain was still very present and the only thing that could remedy it would be time and endurance, but at that moment, she had neither.

Reluctant sapphire eyes traveled to Terra's face. He watched her attentively with a worried look on his face.

Knowing her only salvation would be to get off her feet completely, Aqua held her arms out for him.

Understanding her silent plea, Terra let her loop her arms around his tanned neck before he bent down in order to pick her up bridal style.

'_Thank you,' _she mouthed and rested her head on his shoulder as relief finally found her. The cool air licked her bare, butchered feet and caressed the invisible wounds the illusionary spikes had created.

"You're welcome," Terra responded tenderly and brought her closer to his chest so he could properly support her.

Finally, they were able to reach the twins' enormous, joined bedrooms.

The rooms were identical, much like the twins themselves except the rooms differed in color. Kairi's room was pink, while Naminé's was white. Both rooms had gargantuan canopy beds and Aqua was sure all of her ladies in waiting back home could fill just one of the beds.

The rooms had flawless mirrors that almost covered the entire wall they were placed upon. Dainty rounded tables sat within the rooms where the girls and their visitors could draw, play cards, or eat. Aqua also noticed a piano was in Kairi's room while a harp was placed in Naminé's.

Terra followed the twins through Naminé's quarters and walked through the oversized doorway that joined the two rooms. Once they reached Kairi's chamber, the Keyblade wielder walked Aqua to Kairi's rosy bed and delicately set her upon it flaxen surface as if she were a precious china doll that would break if he were too rough with her.

Aqua placed her hand on his warm cheek and compelled him to look at her. _'I won't break." _

Terra intently watched her lips as she mouthed the words she could not speak. Aqua couldn't help but notice that he was the only person who did so. It seemed like he paid a bit more attention to her than most. While the others merely waited for her to nod or do another expressive action, Terra would look at her as if he still expected her to miraculously speak. Because of this, Aqua would still try to talk even though her words were soundless.

"I-I know that, I just… I just don't want to hurt you," he explained and she could feel his face heating against her palm.

"_You won't_," she mouthed slowly and shook her head subtly.

Terra chuckled. "I'll try not to."

Unwillingly, Aqua removed her hand from his face but being mute actually had its advantages. It allowed her to get away with more. Normally, she wouldn't have ever been that bold to touch someone like that but because she was mute, she could get away with it. She knew Terra wouldn't think anything of it unless the connection lasted too long, but as long as she kept it brief, he would think that she was simply trying to communicate.

It wasn't long before the twins began blanketing Aqua with dresses. If she didn't like a dress, she would make funny faces or stick her tongue out at the garment to amuse the young girls.

Aqua sifted through the endless hoards of attire until she found a glamorous, navy blue dress. The indigo dress caught her attention and she held the dress out for the matching girls to observe.

"Do you like this one?" Naminé walked across the room to retrieve the lovely navy-blue dress.

Aqua smiled and nodded, noticing that everyone was already learning to ask her yes or no questions.

The dress she chose was lovely; it was even in her favorite color. The dress was very tight at the bust with lace at its upper portion, traveling up the center of the dress. Its sleeves were short and would latch onto tiny segments of her shoulders. The garment billowed at the bottom and parted in the center to reveal a lacy, white fabric underneath.

"This one is Tifa's but she won't mind," Naminé explained as she inspected the dress.

"You and Tifa are closer to the same age but you are a bit smaller than she is… We can call a seamstress to make the proper adjustments if the dress is still too tight after we lace it up," Kairi said as she squinted her eyes and examined Aqua's physique.

Nodding again, Aqua stood and Terra instantly tensed. She sighed and held her hand up to halt his advance.

'_I'm fine,' _she scolded and shook her head at him. Terra submitted and allowed Aqua to stand on her own.

"Outside!" Kairi scolded and began shoving Terra out of the room.

Terra glanced over his shoulder at Aqua and she waved playfully at him.

"Go on, shoo! We'll call if we need you." Kairi shoved the oversized Keyblade wielder out of the room.

"But-" He hesitated, clearly worried about Aqua's wellbeing and ability to fend for herself.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of her." The redhead winked and forcefully shut the door behind him.

Aqua strolled to one of the many mirrors within the room and instinctively began running her fingers through her messy hair.

_You look a fright, Aqua. Gran would be having an aneurism if she knew you'd been walking around a King's palace like this, _she mused while she critically observed her haggard appearance.

"May I?" Tifa asked and tugged at the cape that clung to Aqua's frame.

'_Sorry,'_ the blue young woman automatically mouthed and let go of Terra's shawl.

Aqua had never really been conscious of nudity before, but she certainly was now. Personally, she wasn't ashamed but knowing that they found it to be something unorthodox made her nervous.

The cape was removed and Aqua stood confidently as if she were fully clothed. She didn't try to shield herself with her arms nor did her face heat. After all, in the underworld this was the norm for her, but she _was_ worried about what the others would think…

"I love how bold she is," Kairi whispered to Naminé but Aqua still overheard the comment. Her hearing was a bit more sensitive than most. She had human legs and warm blood but her ears were still undoubtedly those of a mermaid; ears that were forced to pick up noises though the thick, ocean mass.

"I wish I had that kind of confidence around strangers," Naminé agreed, trying to remove the wrinkles from Aqua's dress with her hands.

She intrigued them; Aqua would recognize that look of intrigue anywhere for she had given it to these lands and human beings countless times. They watched her just as she had watched their kind, with curiosity and awe. Aqua had the general appearance of a human but she knew they could sense that there was something a bit _odd_ about her. She was unnaturally fluid even with _injuries_ and she had yet to see anyone with short, blue hair.

The fact that she couldn't speak also piqued the interest of the curious princesses. Though one was much more eager and lively than the other. Kairi's thirst for life and curiosity for the unknown rivaled that of her own. Kairi reminded Aqua a bit of herself, as did Naminé. They both had characteristics that were similar to her own.

"Should I call for some servants to help prepare her for dinner or do you two want to do it?" Tifa asked politely as she began searching for corsets and girdles.

Aqua scrunched her nose and winced at the sight of the uncomfortable looking apparel.

'_Don't wrinkle your lovely face like that,'_ her grandmother would scold were she there.

"Yeah, that's how I feel about them too," Kairi agreed and placed her hands on her own corseted waist.

'_Pride must suffer pain,'_ Gran chided inside her head.

Aqua supposed some things would always be unavoidable. Even on land she would be forced to wear less than comfortable attire, but it still didn't look as uncomfortable as the strange, junk Gran put on her back home.

"Um…I think we can do it," Naminé replied. "It will be fun to dress someone else for a change."

Again, Aqua found herself relating to the twins. As a princess, she knew the confines and regulations they were forced to endure. They were likely not the same but she could still empathize with them.

Soon she was placed in the navy garment of silk and expensive muslin, and was the most beautiful creature in the palace; but she was still taciturn.

Aqua was relieved to find that the attire wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as some of the ornaments and accessories she was forced to wear in the sea. The corset made it a bit harder for her to breathe but since the new form of breathing was strange to her in general, it did not trouble her much. She had endured much worse during her time as a mermaid.

Although her feet tormented her as she stood, she couldn't resist the urge to twirl around and feel the billowing fabric of the formal garment against her pristine legs. Aqua lightheartedly twirled on her heels and the knives wretched and bore into her wedges as she pirouetted but she barely felt it for she focused solely on the sensation of wearing a dress for the first time.

The mermaid couldn't help but notice that the twins had almost as much fun dressing her and fixing her up like a doll as she did wearing the foreign garment. They had giggled and sparkled as they adorned her in their usual attire. She was like a new plaything to the girls but she didn't mind; she enjoyed giving them enjoyment for she knew the burden of being a princess…

_I'll miss a lot of things but I don't think being a princess will be one of them…_

"Now you just need to put on some shoes and we will be ready to go to dinner," Tifa explained.

"Oh! I want to pick them out!" Kairi dashed to the massive closet within her lavish chamber.

_Shoes? What are shoes? _Aqua thought as she tried to figure out what she was missing. Her eyes examined Tifa thoroughly from top to bottom.

The woman with lengthy raven locks wore a dress that was pearly white and fitted at the top but was a colorless ebony at its swelling base. As Tifa moved, Aqua noticed the objects on her feet.

_Oh…_

When Kairi returned, she held two silver articles in her hands and Aqua's heart sank when she realized they were to go on her feet.

The _shoes _as they called them were beautiful and glistened when they caught the light. They were studded in diamonds and shining blue gems but all Aqua could see was ruthless, saw-toothed snares sewn into the shoes' soles.

"Step into these." Kairi placed the shoes at Aqua's delicate feet.

Impulsively, Aqua looked at the door for Terra. She might need him to carry her if she somehow managed put her feet into these unconventional torture devices.

"Do your legs still hurt?" Naminé asked and stood next to Aqua.

The mermaid nodded and placed a hand on Naminé's shoulder for support.

"Tifa," Naminé called anxiously and Tifa swiftly ran to Aqua's side.

Aqua let the two women support her weight as she preemptively winced and carefully slipped one of her feet into the extravagant shoes. Her expression softened when the pain didn't intensify to an unbearable degree.

She released the women's shoulders and nodded that she could proceed on her own. She sank her other foot into the next shoe and straightened her dress once she was finished.

"All right!" Kairi chirped. "Ready to go to a royal dinner?"

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **_

_**See, I'm not completely heartless! This chapter was a bit brighter than the others! **__**This is where I began adding my own personal touches into the story. In the first two chapters, I followed the book a bit more closely but from this point on, I'll be adding more of my own changes. Like I've said several times before this is based on the Hans Christian Anderson story but it isn't going to BE the Hans Christian Anderson version. I'm repeating this for those of you who have been concerned about Aqua's wellbeing in this story...so...hint hint cough cough... I plan on taking care of her. However, that doesn't mean there won't be that bittersweet feel in some chapters. Some chapters will be brighter than others so just be prepared for that. **_

_**Also, the role of Keyblade wielders will be explained more later. I haven't forgotten about all that and they will have a role we just haven't gotten to that point yet.**_

_**All right, I guess that is all I've got. **__**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

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Whispers and gossip chimed in and out of the dining hall as Aqua sat silently at the longest, widest table she had ever seen, amongst King Ansem's royal court with Terra at her side. The royal household sat closer to the King and the twins while Aqua and the King's Keyblade bearers sat farther down the massive table of rich food and sugary, harlequin deserts.

Cerulean orbs danced around every inch of the room ravenously. Aqua couldn't get enough of the palace's atmosphere. Everything was indescribably beautiful. She had never seen anything like it. The walls were milky white and were smothered in tangled, gold trim and embroideries. Gigantic portraits of the King, the twins, duchesses, dukes, and many other individuals Aqua didn't recognize hung from the magnificent walls. The crystalline chandelier above them clanged and pealed beautifully as it sparkled overhead, casting glimmering, angular designs onto the table and walls around her. Prussian blue curtains were draped over the tremendous windows and matched the cushions of the seat Aqua sat upon.

Although Aqua could not speak, she was still very attentive and occasionally tried her best to communicate in any way that she could. During the others conversations, she listened intently and had learned a bit about this Kingdom's lifestyle which was not all that different from her own in the sea. The King had his royal court of servants and officials. The court also consisted of those that attended to gain financial or political favor and even those that were there simply for the society and entertainment offered. Aqua wasn't really sure what category she fell into. She assumed she was merely viewed as a temporary, unwanted visitor.

The biggest difference between her father's court and King Ansem's court was the branch of offensive individuals. Aqua's kingdom didn't have an army of Keyblade wielders that were willing and able to go to war. The undersea world had no need for such things. King Eraqus had told her of how violent and miserable human's were and how this often drove them to fight one another over trivial things and she was seeing that, that was not entirely untrue. Ansem had the Keyblade wielders to keep peace or to engage in war, that much was obvious. Terra had tried to explain it all to her but she was still a bit confused with the whole war and fighting concept because it was completely new to her.

Terra talked to her more than anyone else did. He spoke to her directly while most of the others only spoke to her indirectly. The bronze warrior would often give her random bits of information like who certain people were, why they were there, and things of that nature.

Throughout the dinner Terra also constantly gave Aqua subtle hints and cues. He helped her hold her silverware properly, he would gesture to the proper utensil to be used for certain foods, and he often cut her food and served her food to her to keep her from embarrassing herself. She was grateful but the others still spoke harshly of her.

"_Oh, how dreadfully short her hair is."_

"_She will be gone in a week." _

"_Has she been imported here to be a courtesan for the King? It _**has **_been a while since the Queen's passing…" _

"_Where on earth did they find this one?" _

"_What do you imagine her ethnicity is? I've never seen features quite like hers." _

"_She cannot speak. How tragic." _

"_They obviously don't have manners or etiquette where she is from." _

Aqua huffed and blew her hair out of her face. This was awkward and humiliating. She wished the twins hadn't wanted her to come. The princesses were the only reason she was permitted to sit at this table with the royal household and it was obvious.

She also noticed that many of the servants and members of the household that had earned their place at the elaborate table frequently conversed with Terra. They made him laugh and smile and this was a great sorrow to the azure mermaid. She knew she was much more articulate and clever than any of the maidens that had spoken but Terra would never know that. If she had her voice she would have been able to charm everyone in the room but she could no longer use her silver tongue and articulation to please and entertain others as she once had.

_I wish you knew what I was like before, but I can't show you... I have relented my voice forever just to be with you… _she sighed mentally and held her head down.

It wasn't long before the household made a game out of Aqua's mysteriousness. They had begun placing wagers on who could guess things like her name, origin, and ethnicity first.

"Leia?"

_No._

"Erica?"

_Uh-uh. _

"Cara?"

_Not even close. _

Aqua sighed and blew her bangs out of her face again and the household chuckled.

"Perhaps it is time for our guess to give us a hint?" King Ansem suggested from the head of the table before he took a sip of clear, sparking wine.

The congregation mumbled their agreement.

Aqua chewed her lip and searched the table for a glass of water. The closest glass was the one to Terra's left so she quickly took the glass and vigorously pointed to its contents.

"Your name is a derivative of water?" Tifa inquired and leaned forward so she could see Aqua from her position from further down the table.

Aqua beamed at her and nodded, causing the chatter erupted once more.

"_Marina?" _

"_Kai?" _

"_Melia?" _

"_Lana?" _

"_Vivien?" _

"_Meri?"_

"_Nineve?" _

While the incorrect names bounced off the walls and jingled the chandelier's crystals, Aqua watched Terra who looked deep in thought. He placed his hand on his chin and stared holes into the glossy table's surface. Aqua could see the wheels turning in his head. She smiled. He looked cute when he was deep in thought.

Aqua looked at him expectantly. If anyone could guess her name, it would be him. She had told him her name once…but she doubted he remembered. He was unconscious at the time. She was the only one that remembered the first and last time she was able to speak to him,_ truly_ speak to him.

"Aqua?" reflected Terra softly, his chocolate brow tightly knitted as if he were recalling something instead of simply guessing.

The mermaid almost jumped out of her seat with excitement. Instinctively, she grabbed his warm hand and nodded fervently.

"Aqua?" Terra repeated and cast his gaze back to Aqua.

She bobbed her head in approval.

"Aqua!" he called triumphantly and subconsciously squeezed her hand.

"Good work, kiddo!' the man with sleek black hair and tawny eyes Terra had called Braig commended a bit sarcastically. He was dressed like the guards Dilan and Aeleus. Braig wore a navy suit with tow colored buttons on his chest, black boots that covered his calves, white gloves, and a blood-red scarf around his thin throat.

"Looks like we were over thinking it," Braig sneered from his place at Xehanort's right and Aqua didn't care for the way that he smiled at her, she didn't really care for the way he smiled at _anyone._

"That would explain why Terra was able to guess it correctly,"one of the other Keyblade wielders, Vanitas, ridiculed from across the table. Aqua didn't care for his smile either. If she didn't know any better she would have thought fangs rested inside his mouth, behind his thin lips. His eyes were an unusual, unsettling color just like Braig's and Xehanorts and Aqua found the men with tawny eyes made her nervous. She wasn't sure why but she assumed it was because she found the color of their eyes...strange.

"Are you calling me dumb?" Terra tensed, his tone taking on hard edge.

"Yes," Vanitas stated bluntly, his golden eyes glowing mischievously behind his coal-black locks.

"Nah, he isn't dumb. He can just be a bit…slow sometimes," the boy who told Aqua to call him Ven chuckled into his glass of water. Aqua did, however, like the way Ven smiled. It was infectious and she often smiled with him even when he wasn't smiling at her.

"Awe, no!" Aerith chimed in from Terra's right. "Terra isn't dumb _or _slow! He is just a bit naïve at times." She pinched his cheek and he blushed as he pulled away.

"Okay, okay! Enough!" The bronze Keyblade wielder shrugged off Aerith's playful affection and tried his best to remove the rose from his cheeks.

Further down the table, the conversation then shifted to dancing and how there had not been a ball in some time. Some of the servants, court members, and ladies in waiting then began to discuss how they should venture to the ballroom after dinner concluded and have small dance party where they could dance and play music for the King and the princesses like they used to.

As they spoke, Aqua realized balls apparently were a thing of the past in this palace. They certainly were not back home. A ball was being held the night she went to see the seawitch... Aqua had heard several subjects speak of the late Queen and wondered if her passing had anything to do with the lack of formal events. Her father certainly lessened the amount of balls they held in the palace after her mother died. Eventually, things went back to normal but for a while her father avoided holding them because they reminded him of her mother and her absence. Aqua wondered if that was why Ansem hadn't held a ball in a while.

"Do you dance?" Terra whispered into Aqua's ear as his arm draped over the back of her seat.

Aqua recoiled and placed a hand on her chest.

'_Me?' _she gaped.

Terra chuckled. "Yes, you."

Furiously, Aqua shook her head back and forth causing Terra to laugh more. She loved his laugh; possibly more than she loved the steady, powerful hum of his vocal chords. Once her attention dawdled, she realized Terra wasn't the only one amused by her reaction to his question. Some of the others chuckled at her exaggerated movements as well. Aqua realized that her animated gestures and motions amused them. Perhaps she was more peculiar looking than she realized.

"The foundling is a bit outlandish, is she not?" Xehanort ridiculed as he sipped his blood-red wine, causing Braig, Vanitas, and several others to snicker or guffaw.

Offended and irritated, Aqua glared at him and seriously considered sticking her tongue out at him. She loathed his constant mockery of her and the cruel nickname he had given her which was unfortunately starting to stick.

"She is but I think it is part of her strange charm," the King confessed with a snicker, his hands weaving together under his bearded chin.

Pleased with the reaction she'd received from the King, Aqua purposely sat arrogantly in her seat and held her head high in flamboyant triumph. Again, coaxing chuckles out of those near her that noticed her gesture.

Aqua was learning that being brazen and by overdramatizing things, she could project her personality without speaking. It would take some getting use to but she was sure that she could eventually master the art of not speaking.

* * *

Once dinner ended, Terra escorted Aqua back to the room she would be staying in throughout the duration of her stay in the palace. Servants Kairi and Namine had demanded prepare Aqua for bed followed the duo closely as they walked the lavish halls of the palace to Aqua's new living accommodations.

The mermaid was very pleased with herself when she managed to walk to her room on her own without having Terra carry her. The pain was still intense and caused her unimaginable agony, but she was slowly learning to tolerate it.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Terra inquired and looked over at the mute girl who walked elegantly next to him.

After yawning, Aqua nodded.

"Tired?" he asked again, earning another nod out of the mermaid.

"Me too," the warrior confessed with a stretch as he stopped in front of one of the many oversized doors within the hallway.

"This the right room?" he questioned the servants.

The quiet servants nodded and Terra opened the door for Aqua and the housemaids.

Curiously yet timidly, Aqua peered into the room and was instantly greeted by floods and of varying shades of blue. Kairi and Namine had clearly taken notice that her favorite color was blue when they were picking out dresses earlier.

The room was much smaller than the twin's joined rooms but probably bigger than most of the servants' quarters. The room was likely a guest room for some of the lower ranking visitors or court members.

Everything was doused in blue and silver. The bed wasn't a canopy bed but it still had a massive headboard of pure silver. The bedspread was deep, royal blue while the decorative pillows were a soft ice blue. A feathery rug of swirling aquamarine and ultramarine slept beneath the bed while the rest of the floor mirrored the silver on the walls and on the bed's headboard. A matching couch and chair slumbered in on of the room's corners and a silver dresser and vanity lined the otherwise bare blue walls. Sheer, snowy curtains flowed and danced around in front of the large, open window by the bed and allowed the gentle sea breeze to pour into the spacious chamber.

When Terra did not follow them into the room, Aqua peered back at him curiously.

Terra grinned. "Goodnight, Aqua."

Was he leaving? She desperately wanted to thank him for everything he had done for her that day before he departed, but she wasn't quite sure how to express it... The mermaid chewed her bottom lip as her sparkling eyes danced over the floor.

Unable to think of any other way to express her gratitude, Aqua embraced him. Her arms wound around his sturdy neck as she stood on her tiptoes to match his towering height. She felt him tense and hesitate in shock for a moment before he tentatively returned the gesture.

Terra's powerful arms easily wrapped around her waist and she felt his chin graze the exposed skin of her shoulder. Aqua wanted to hold onto him for dear life and never let go. She would stand on her stinging toes and feet forever if it meant she could hold him like this whenever she wanted. The cobalt maiden closed her eyes and buried her face in his neck before she reluctantly released him.

"…You're welcome," he breathed and looked down at her as her arms fell back to her sides.

Blinking rapidly, the warrior cleared his throat and quickly snatched his arms away from her waist when he realized he was still holding her.

"Right…um." Terra cleared his throat again. "I-I will see you in the morning?"

Aqua waved and subtly smiled as he turned on his heel to begin his trek back down the hallway.

Once Terra was gone, she entered her room and could hear the sound of running water.

_Weird… _

The servants undressed her and hauled her into the bathroom that lied on the other side of her blue room where they instructed her to take a "bath" in what they had called a tub. There was water in the tub. She knew that much because she heard water pouring earlier but the tub appeared to be filled with thick foam? Aqua leaned down to touch the bizarre coating. It was light and dissolved a bit when she touched it. Underneath the snowy foam was the water she had heard. Humans truly were peculiar.

After carefully examining the lather for a while, Aqua decided she would do what the servants told her to do and immerse her body in the foamy water. It was warm, practically hot which surprised her. It was much warmer than any water he had experienced before. Naturally, the water in the sea did not get that hot.

The servants rubbed every inch of her raw with sponges, water, and what they had identified as soap. Once they were done they said, "There, nice and clean!" which Aqua again found odd but she made a mental note that taking a "bath" was what humans did to get "clean."

Aqua was dressed her for bed, adorned in fragrant ointments and salves, and finally had her damp hair brushed. Apparently, the twins had demanded that she receive special treatment. They probably assumed she had never been papered before. They were wrong. Aqua didn't want to be pampered like a princess anymore but it wasn't like she could object so she politely and gracefully took the unnecessary coddling.

The housemaids had placed Aqua in a bizarre nightgown. It was a thin with long sleeves, silky bows, and ruffled, lacy cuffs. The garment was bleached and oversized and traveled to her calves. The mermaid struggled to keep the oversized attire on her body and the broad, crimped neckline kept falling off her porcelain shoulders. If she could groan in frustration, she would have.

Aqua trekked across the lush, indigo rug underneath the bed but she couldn't feel the velvety texture of the carpet. She knelt down and stroked the furry quality with her fingers and learned that the rug was just as soft as it looked. A downcast sigh erupted from her throat. She wished she could actually _feel _it between her toes and along the miserable soles of her feet.

_Oh well, _she thought while she rose to her feet and inched toward her large, velvety bed.

"Do you need anything else, dear?" One of the servants asked.

Aqua shook her head and respectfully bid them goodnight.

The maids had already turned back the fluffy, royal blue bedspread and milky sheet underneath so all Aqua had to do was get in the bed. The sapphire mermaid crawled onto the bed's unusual, mushy surface and meticulously buried herself inside the satiny blankets.

_My flowers! _her mind cried when she remembered she had left the flowers from home on the steps.

Fearlessly, Aqua stumbled out of bed she had_ just_ laid down in and ran barefoot across the floor of scathing needles.

_Please still be there. Please still be there. Please still be there! _her frantic mind chanted as she ran through the quiet halls and down the many flights of chilled, marble stairs of the sleeping palace.

Her feet begged her to stop, to slow down but she couldn't. She needed her flowers… The need for the familiarity of her home and family urged her forward and dulled the misery. At that moment, the maniacal discomfort didn't matter. She just wanted her flowers. She just wanted her last piece of home.

When Aqua reached the veranda of thick, stone pillars and steps that elegantly descended into the ocean, she could see that her flowers were still there. Relief flooded her fragile heart and she cruelly fell to her hands and knees. Unable to walk on her feet another second, she weakly crawled across the sleek, ivory marble to the steps.

The precious, undersea flowers had been scattered by the ocean breeze, but they were all accounted for. Aqua carefully counted each one multiple times and made sure none of them had been lost. Thankfully, she still had a flower from each of her friends' flowerbeds and even the flower from Gran's garden.

Once the panic began to subside, the torture in her feet intensified. Running out there had pushed the torment to a whole new level. She had to find relief. Weakly, she crawled down the sleek steps so that she could place her feet into the compassionate ocean. As she slowly crawled to the water she realized she was struggling to catch her breath. Her ill-fated heart palpitated irregularly, skipping a few beats and fluttering like a frightened bird in a much too small cage as she fought for her fleeting breath and wriggled toward the ocean that would surely comfort her feet.

Cautiously, she pulled her feet out in front of her, taking extra care to ensure that her feet didn't touch or even graze the ground. After she gingerly sat her bouquet down beside her, the mermaid managed to shift her mutilated feet out in front of her and dip them into the cool waters.

Aqua held her head back and closed her eyes as she finally received relief. She sighed and buried her burning legs in the water up to her calves. The ocean affectionately lapped at her feet and caressed the invisible wounds as if it understood her pain. It was as if the sea knew what had happened to her and pitied her enough to sooth her ceaseless, incurable ailment.

_Thank you… _she mentally expressed her gratitude while her heartbeat and breathing slowed and gradually regained a normal rhythm.

The respite quickly turned to fear the instant Aqua felt a cold hand seize her ankle. A silent yelp crawled out of her still wheezing throat as she tried to yank her leg away from whatever it was that had taken hold of her. The witch, she just knew it was the witch…

Before she hysteria could take a firm hold, a familiar head of lengthy, black hair emerged out of the shimmering, navy surface of the water. Beneath the mop of thick black were two of the bluest eyes one would ever witness.

_Xion…! _

"There you are!" Xion cried once she had finally surfaced.

Aqua shakily released a rasping breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"We've been looking for you everywhere! I figured you would be here somewhere. I was here earlier but I didn't see you… Where…" Xion's eyes went wide as she realized what she was still holding in her hand.

Frightened, Xion wretched her hand away as if Aqua's ankle had burned her. Water splashed and rippled wildly while Xion jerked away from her princess.

"Aqua… What have you done…?" The raven-haired half human gaped.

With a small, meek smile, Aqua shrugged.

"Your tail… It's…gone," Xion stated in awe and timidly reached out to touch Aqua's leg again. "You're…human?"

Aqua pinched her fingers together in an attempt to tell her dear friend that she was only somewhat human. In her opinion, she was still a mermaid at heart.

Xion's hands were cold. Xion had touched her thousands of times before but she had _never _thought she was cold…

"What do you mean? Aqua, what's going on?!" Xion grabbed Aqua's hands.

Aqua patted the mermaid's hands and smiled warmly at her in silent assurance. She could not tell her what was going on but she could calm her down and do her best to assure her that she was all right. Xion was far from unintelligent. Aqua knew that once she calmed down she could put the pieces together on her own.

The blue girl squeezed Xion's hands as she watched her loyal companion silently mull everything over for what seemed like a short eternity.

"You went to the seawitch, didn't you?" Xion finally inquired softly, her eyes rising to meet Aqua's.

Aqua gave a nod.

"Oh, Aqua." Xion squeezed Aqua's hands. "Why did you…? You didn't have to… You…"

Solemnly, Aqua watched her best friend struggle for the right words.

"For him?"

Aqua bobbed her head again and pointed to her chest to try to indicate that she also did it for a heart. Those weren't the only reasons she did what she did, but they were definitely the most influential.

Xion's brow furrowed. "Aqua, why aren't you talking?"

It took Xion a while before she realized Aqua was being_ unnaturally_ quiet. Aqua was always quiet and often spoke in nods and shrugs but she seemed to be even quieter than normal. It was a peculiar, abnormal quiet she was exuding.

'_I can't_,' she mouthed carefully, shaking her head and patting her empty throat.

"The witch?" the younger mermaid inquired.

Aqua concurred with a sole bob of her head.

"Was that how you were able to convince her to give you…_these_?" Xion questioned again and apprehensively touched Aqua's submerged legs.

The sapphire maiden nodded again.

"Oh, Aqua… What are we going to do…? What am I supposed to tell everyone? What am I going to tell Gran? Your father?"

Aqua cringed and closed her eyes. She took a deep, uneven breath and looked into Xion's eyes.

'_The truth?' _she mouthed with a shrug while also trying to express herself through her eyes.

"Maybe we don't have to… Maybe I can go to see the seawitch. Maybe I can convince her to give me a potion that will turn you back into a mermaid," Xion practically pleaded as she seized Aqua's warm hands again.

Aqua shook her head back and forth adamantly but she still smiled. She was seeing this through. She had made her choice. This was what she wanted and she didn't want Xion going anywhere _near_ the sea hag even if she_ did_ want to become a mermaid again.

"But you don't want that, do you?" the black-haired mermaid sighed. "All right. You win. I guess I will tell them the truth… Maybe they will just be glad you're alive and won't be as upset with the whole human thing…"

Aqua adoringly held Xion's face in her hands in appreciation. Her eyes and posture confident, she wanted Xion to know that she didn't regret her decision to become a human.

Xion sighed again but weakly grinned afterwards. "So have you met him?"

Aqua nodded excitedly and Xion's grin grew a little.

"Well, is he nice? Funny? Does it bother him that you can't speak? It better not. He better appreciate everything you've done for him."

Before Aqua could look at Xion sternly for asking too many questions at once, the sound of clinking armor startled them both.

"Aqua?" Terra's voice reverberated off the marble around them, causing Xion to gasp and Aqua to jump.

Frantically, Aqua shooed Xion back into the water before Terra could see her.

"Looks like you remembered before I did," he continued as he approached her.

Aqua looked at him skeptically and Terra chuckled.

"Your flowers." He crossed his arms and bobbed his head in the direction of the bouquet of flowers resting next to her.

Terra plopped down on the steps beside her. "I was going to get them and bring them to you if they were still here. ...But you were already here so…I guess I won't have to do that now… Not that I should have in the first place… It's kind of late and I probably would have been waking you up or bothering you," Terra rambled nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

Aqua held her head down to hide her silent giggles.

Terra cleared his throat while Aqua picked up her vibrant bouquet.

"I've never seen flowers quite like those," he changed the subject and examined the flowers she tenderly held in her ivory hands. "Where did you get them?"

Aqua looked at him with an exasperated, vexed half grin.

Terra slammed the palm of his hand against his forehead, "I have _really_ got to learn to stop asking you complicated questions…"

She laughed at him but no sound escaped from her pink lips.

"You're laughing at me, aren't you," Terra groused while Aqua used one of her dainty hands to hide her growing, persistent smile.

Silent giggles continued to break free and Terra could see her shoulders trembling with noiseless laughter. Aqua could feel him looking at her expectantly and she subtly nodded that she was indeed laughing at him.

Reluctantly, Terra's hardened features cracked and he smirked.

The tide rolled and crashed against the steps, causing the sparkling mist of the waves to kiss Aqua's skin. The peaceful sound of the ocean calmed her as she watched the beaming moon's reflection shining all along the water's dark, rigid surface. She wondered if Xion had made it back home. She hated she couldn't spend more time with her or really say goodbye but she was pretty sure Xion would come back and she would do her best to be there when she did. Her mind continued to wander and she began wondering if the lingering silence bothered Terra. It didn't bother her in the least. She enjoyed it. Then again, she did always enjoy subtle, tranquil things.

Her eyes timidly wandered to the Keyblade wielder's form and it seemed like he was enjoying the quiet as well. He had reclined onto his steel plated elbows and was gazing out at the moon kissed water as well. She hoped that he enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed his although they hadn't known each other that long. Just being in his presence was enough for her, they didn't have to force communication. This was enough for her.

"I should probably get you back to your room," Terra announced and gradually got back to his feet. "You've had a really long day and I'm sure the twins will come to harass you in the morning so you'll need your rest."

Aqua chuckled again and bobbed her head in agreement.

The brunette held his hand out for her and Aqua again dreaded getting to her feet.

Seeing her subtle hesitation his brow knitted. "Do your legs hurt?"

The mermaid didn't respond, she merely placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her suffering feet. Once her feet left the swell of the ocean, the prickling pain returned with a callous vengeance, but she bore it willingly.

Once Aqua proved she could stand, Terra offered her his arm and she looped her arm through his so he could escort her back to her room. Aqua had learned that in certain situations or environments it was common courtesy for a man to offer a woman his arm when he walked with her, but she knew Terra was doing so to offer her support. While Terra was acting as a gentleman, she also knew he was mainly concerned about her ability to walk on her own. She couldn't fool him. Somehow he knew she was suffering even though she tried her best to hide it.

Fatigue set in when she came into contact with the warmth that radiated off the bronze warrior. She didn't realize how tired she was until she allowed him to help support her weight. Her eyes grew heavy and she yawned as she rested her cheek on the armor that covered his bicep. Aqua wrapped both of her arms around his and instinctively melded against his side as if it was something she had always done or something she was always meant to do.

Before she realized it, they had reached her door and for the first time since she had obtained legs, she wanted to walk a bit more. It occurred to her that while holding onto Terra she didn't notice the torment in her feet as much because she focused on him instead. The anguish was still there but it was more tolerable.

"We're here," he announced softly and she felt his deep voice vibrate off of him.

Unhurriedly, Aqua untangled their limbs and blushed when she realized how close she had gotten to him. Her blush only intensified when she realized the oversized nightgown had also fallen off one of her shoulders during the trek back to her room. Clumsily, she pulled the garment back over her shoulder and attempted to mimic the modesty humans possessed as she gracefully glided across the floor to her bed.

"Well…um…" Terra stated uncomfortably and swallowed hard as he watched her fix her nightgown. "I guess I better let you get some rest now. Do you need anything?"

Aqua tapped her chin with her index finger and pretended to think. After a moment, she sat on the bed, folded her legs, and shook her head back and forth.

"Okay then." Terra grinned, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Aqua nodded with a radiant smile on her face while she began pulling the blankets over her lap.

"Goodnight," he stated and began pulling the door closed.

Before Terra completely closed the door, he gazed back at her once more.

'_Goodnight,'_ Aqua enunciated when he looked at her expectantly. She waved and he closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Aqua!" Kairi's voice chimed and Aqua felt the girl crawl onto the bed where she proceeded to crawl on top of her. "Come on! It's time to get up!

The redhead shook her shoulders causing Aqua to grimace and bury her face under her silky pillow.

"It looks like our visitor isn't much of a morning person," a voice Aqua assumed came from Tifa's throat resonated around the room.

Aqua could hear the curtains of her room being pulled back and she could see the room brightening although her eyes were still closed and her head was under the thick pillow.

"You're going to miss breakfast, Aqua!" Kairi shook the sleeping maiden's shoulders more.

With a yawn, Aqua finally relented and sat upright, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and shaking her messy hair.

"Good morning, Aqua," Naminé called softly but excitedly from the foot of Aqua's bed and Aqua waved to the blonde girl.

Bright, cobalt eyes wandered around the room and saw that Tifa and another girl were in her room as well. The other girl was another one of the twin's ladies in waiting. Her hair was chocolate-brown, her eyes were jade, and the dress she wore was orange with yellow ruffles along its collar and the sleeves that just reached her elbows. Aqua believed the twins had introduced her as Olette at the dinner last night but she was not certain. She had met so many people who all of their names and faces had begun to blur together. Aqua was excellent at remembering names and faces, she remembered everyone from her father's court and household but she had been introduced to them gradually over time, not all at once.

The women in her room were already dressed for their day and they were just as formal as they had been the night before. Frilly bonnets upon their heads or colorful feathers in their hair, sheer, lace fans in their hands, chockers or necklaces around their necks, earrings in their ears, and corsets secured around their waists; Kairi in pink, Namine in white, Tifa in royal blue, and Olette in orange. The mermaid instantly wondered what the occasion was and she wanted to ask but she couldn't so she would just have to wait to find out.

Aqua sighed when she realized she would be adorned in such a way for breakfast as well. She preferred their more casual attire they had been in when she first met them but she assumed that wouldn't be the case today. She knew formality varied day-to-day and from occasion to occasion. Such was the life of a princess or the life of one in the royal household.

* * *

Breakfast was similar to the dinner the night before but Aqua didn't feel as out-of-place. There weren't as many people and the conversations didn't dwell on her as long as they had previously.

Again, she was seated away from the royal family and the higher-ranking members of the royal household. Aqua sat next to Terra and Aerith but this time Ven and Vanitas were seated away from her. They were sitting next to the twins instead. On one side of the table Ventus sat next to Naminé and on the other Kairi sat next to Vanitas. Neither of the twins looked too happy about the seating arrangement and Aqua was wondering why they were setting next to them if they didn't want to, especially since they hadn't the night before. Aqua didn't even hear them speak to one another at dinner. It didn't make sense but she couldn't directly ask about it, especially not at dinner table.

Toward the end of brunch, the King had asked Aqua if she would be interested in a tour of the palace and she eagerly accepted the offer. Ansem the Wise then instructed Terra to take Aqua on said tour of the palace and its grounds. He showed her the many different wings of the palace, the training field where he Ventus, Vanitas, and the other Keyblade wielders practiced, the ballroom, the studies, and countless other areas that slowly began to run together.

"And, finally, we have the gardens," Terra announced as he led Aqua through the large field of colorful flowers, full, green trees, tiny ponds, layered fountains, and neatly trimmed shrubbery behind the castle.

Aqua clung to Terra's arm with one hand while the other lifted the hem of her baby blue dress to keep it from getting grass stains from the towering fields of green as they veered off the creamy, maze like paths that spiraled around the gardens and eventually led back to the palace. The small baby blue bonnet she wore atop her head shielded her eyes from the blinding midday sun and she suddenly saw the appeal in wearing the bizarre headdress and she was glad she had let Tifa convince her to wear it.

Bright, sky blue eyes squinted under the bonnet and Aqua could see Kairi, Naminé, Ventus, and Vanitas in the distance seated on the other end of the garden underneath the shade of a large tree. Naminé sketched in her sketch pad while Ventus watched her intently, his back resting against the base of the tree. Nearby Kairi was wearily picking flowers and detaching their petals while and a very uninterested Vanitas appeared to be taking a nap on his back on the ground beside her.

Curious and even more confused, Aqua tugged at Terra's arm and pointed to the group of four. Terra's blue eyes darted to her before they followed her finger to the quartet.

"Oh." Terra sighed as he noticed what Aqua was quietly asking about. "That's a bit of a long story."

Aqua tugged at his arm again, coaxing him to continue.

"Xehanort brought Ventus and Vanitas here a while back," Terra began. "One of Xehanort's jobs is to help the King deal with foreign affairs and since we are on the verge of going to war with Twilight Town… Xehanort suggested that Ansem think about an arranged marriage between the two kingdoms to keep the peace."

Aqua's eyes went wide and she looked up at Terra.

"_They're betrothed?" H_er eyes seemed to say.

"No! No… Well, not yet anyway…" Terra shook his head. "They're just…_potential_ suitors I guess would be the correct term. Xehanort brought them from King Yen Sid's court in Twilight Town for the twins in hopes that Kairi or Naminé would eventually agree to it or that they will fall in love or something. Ansem refuses to force it on them though. He refuses to force them to marry someone they don't love. Ultimately, the choice is theirs but there is still a bit of coercion there. Xehanort makes them spend time together and they have to try to like one another, but I think it's just Xehanort's wishful thinking."

_I guess that is why the twins were all dressed up today and why they were sitting next to them at brunch..._

Aqua knew about arranged marriages. She would have probably been forced into one herself should she have stayed in her father's palace because she was never interested in any of the mermen back home and everyone knew she would likely never choose to marry on her own. However, as heir to the throne she would be required to marry, but no one ever caught her attention. No one ever did before Terra came along. The mermaid understood arranged marriages but here the rules seemed to differ a bit. The marriage Xehanort was wanting for Kairi and Naminé seemed to be imbedded in politics, like a physical, preemptive treaty.

"They aren't princes or anything but as Keyblade wielders, it is our job and priority to keep the peace and sometimes that doesn't always mean fighting battles or using our strength for our kingdom. Sometimes arranged marriages are a way of keeping peace and it is our duty to support and protect our King, our Kingdom, and our people by any means necessary. So, sometimes in bizarre situations, arranged marriages fall under our jurisdiction." Terra shrugged.

Aqua pointed to Terra, silently asking if that was why he was here as well.

"Me?" Terra reeled. "No. I've always been a purely offensive wielder. I haven't been exported like that. Ansem doesn't like losing or exchanging wielders that way. He isn't_ that_ desperate to keep the peace with other kingdoms yet. He didn't really like having Ventus and Vanitas here at first but Xehanort insisted he at least give them a chance to win over the twins and to serve him."

As Aqua watched she noticed Ventus and Naminé seemed more like a potential match than Kairi or Vanitas or vice versa. Naminé didn't seem too interested in Ventus but Ventus definitely seemed to be a bit interested in her while Kairi and Vanitas didn't seem interested in each other _at all_. Kairi rolled her eyes when Vanitas spoke and Vanitas would often scoff in return. But they were all so young! Kairi and Naminé just turned fifteen and Vanitas and Ven couldn't be a day over sixteen or seventeen…

Aqua took a step forward to approach the twins but Terra pulled her back by her arm. "We aren't allowed to interrupt. Xehanort will have our hides if we ruin the…_ambiance_."

_But…_

The mermaid felt awful. Kairi looked bored and miserable and Naminé nervous and uneasy. She watched with distressed eyes and she wanted to go to them and help in any way she could, but she could tell she wouldn't be allowed to and she would likely get in trouble if she did.

"It is not our place, Aqua." Terra tugged at her arm. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room."

"Don't worry," he added as he walked her back to the palace. "They aren't being forced into anything. They still have the freedom to choose. Ansem won't make them marry them unless they want to."

That made her feel a bit better but she was still concerned. She didn't like the way Xehanort was playing matchmaker nor did she like the way he always whispered to King Ansem. Aqua didn't want to jump to conclusions about a man she hardly knew but she had a feeling that if push came to shove and the fragile peace between Ansem and Yen Sid shattered, Xehanort would demand one of the twins be married off.

Arm in arm, they silently traveled back to the east wing where Aqua's room was. As they walked Aqua noticed the servants cleaning a room Terra hadn't introduced her to earlier. Before Terra could pull her past the luminous room full of bookshelves, Aqua dug her feel into the ground and pulled him backward.

"What is it?" he asked politely and followed her gaze to the massive room.

Aqua pulled Terra by his hand toward the direction of the room filled with books, noiselessly begging him to take her to the room.

"You want to go to the library?" he asked skeptically, his dark blue eyes gazing into the chamber full of tomes, novels, paperbacks, and hardbacks.

Aqua nodded feverishly and continued to pull him by his hand towards the room.

"I just figured since you couldn't read…you wouldn't be interested in the library," Terra confessed as he finally relented to her fierce tugging and entered the bright room of books, ivory, and gold.

The space was magnificent. Once Terra complied and entered the room with her, Aqua scampered around the room like an exhilarated child. The walls were made of books that peacefully slumbered side by side behind protective glass doors. The books were too precious to be exposed to the ailments so the bookshelves were imbedded into the walls of ivory and meticulously embroidered gold then affectionately placed behind clear, glass. The selves didn't journey to the ceiling but they flowed all the way to the floor. Chairs and tables inhabited the empty space in the center of the room where visitors could sit and read while the loud ticking of the massive grandfather clock against the wall kindly reminded them that time continued to pass beyond the room's serenity. Other furnishings even included oversized globes, marble statues, and golden candlesticks. It was breathtaking.

Aqua instantly opened one of the cases and began sifting through the books, looking for one that either intrigued her or tickled at her memories.

"You like books?" Terra asked suspiciously and gracelessly took a seat in one of the white chairs whose cushions were covered in intricate floral designs.

Aqua flipped through one of the books pages before she looked over her shoulder at Terra and nodded.

"But you can't read?" he tried to clarify as one of his brows crawled up his forehead.

After giggling a bit, she shook her head, knowing that it would do nothing but baffle him further.

Terra sighed and rubbed his eyes in complete bewilderment. "You truly are an enigma, Aqua."

He was right. Aqua had been nothing but one conundrum and paradox after another and she knew it.

The mermaid skimmed through the tomes until she finally found one that she wanted to study further. She was pretty sure she had this one back home but the cover was a bit different.

Aqua slipped the pearly heels off her feet so she could_ almost_ feel the cool, glossy surface of the hardwood beneath her aching feet as she walked to the chair next to Terra. Elegantly, Aqua shifted her baby blue dress beneath her and took her seat next to Terra. She untied the lacy bow underneath her chin that held her bonnet atop her head so she could take it off. The mermaid removed the headdress and laid it on the table next to her and began shaking her hair so it no longer stubbornly clung to her scalp.

Once she was comfortable she handed the book to Terra who eyed the offering cynically.

"You want me to read it to you?"

Aqua simpered and nodded.

With a harsh exhale, Terra took the book from her hands and examined the cover.

"So you like Wordsworth?" Terra mused aloud and cracked the book's surface. "I can't say I'm surprised."

"You know…I'm not really much of a reader… I'm not that articulate…" he hesitated. "You sure you want me to read this to you? I'm sure Tifa would be much better at it than me," Terra babbled shyly and ran his free hand through his dark hair.

Aqua crossed her arms and looked at him sternly.

"Fine," he reluctantly relented and Aqua smiled triumphantly as he flipped through the first few pages of the book. He flicked back the musty, tawny pages until he reached "Imitations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood" and began reading.

"_There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, the earth, and every common sight, to me did seem, apparell'd in celestial light, the glory and freshness of a dream. It is not now as it hath been of yore; - Turn wheresoe'er I may, by night or day, the things which I have seen I now can see no more."_

* * *

Gaining a form of routine in the palace was much easier than Aqua thought it would be. For a week, she spent her days with the twins, Tifa, and Olette, her afternoons and evenings were usually spent with Terra after he finished training or returned from traveling to other kingdoms, and each night once the castle was asleep, she would venture to the steps to see if she would receive a visit from Xion as she soaked her tormented feet in the ocean.

In the evenings, before she soaked her feet and waited for Xion and when Terra returned from whatever tasks he had for the day, Aqua would go looking for him and when she found him she would often drag him to the library and demand he read to her. Terra continued to be hesitant and unwilling at first but eventually accepted that it was something Aqua enjoyed and would persistently ask for. Although he pretended to be unenthusiastic and adamant, Aqua could tell he enjoyed reading to her almost as much as she liked being read to.

It didn't take long for Aqua to grow discontented with simply listening. She wanted to see what he read as well. Boldly and fearlessly, Aqua had begun taking a seat in Terra's lap so she could watch what he read as well. Terra would point to the paragraphs, words, and sentences as he read them aloud, doing his best to ensure that she could at least somewhat comprehend the concept behind reading.

Overtime, Aqua had even begun taking books back to her room and so she could attempt reading on her own. Sometimes Terra would even come to visit at night before bed and he would bring her new book once they finished the previous.

That night was no different. Terra was late, but he still came to read to her. He had even missed supper and Aqua was surprised that she was able to see him that day at all. As always, the warrior came to her room with a book, another by William Wordsworth, and had proceeded to begin reading it to her.

The young man rested his back against her silver headboard of her bed while Aqua lied between his legs and used his trunk to support her head and upper body.

Curious eyes of pure sapphire flowed along the stuffy pages while Terra's voice vibrated against her back and his breath tickled at her shoulder. She reclined in his almost embrace and rested the back of her blue head on his chest while he lazily rested his chin on her shoulder and held the book out in front of her.

The rhythm and flow of the words eventually turned into a form of lullaby and the vibrations of his powerful voice soothed and lulled her to sleep as it often did when he read to her late at night in her bed. His voice gradually softened and began to trail off to a whisper until she could no longer hear him nor could she pick up the refreshing yet musty fragrance of the tome. Aqua could feel him shifting behind her and she wondered if he was going to sleep too but her eyes refused to reopen. She could almost feel arms gently wriggling under hers and gingerly wrapping around her waist. She could almost feel his face taking a more permanent place against her neck and shoulder but she was so tired and it felt so good, she couldn't will herself awake to see if it was real or not. If it was a dream, she didn't want to know so she would to be able to pretend that it was real regardless.

_"Enjoying your evening with the foundling, Terra?"_ a raspy voice croaked and Aqua tensed in her sleep.

"Good evening, Master Xehanort." Terra's calm voice sounded near her neck and hummed against her back.

She felt him shifting again. The warmth left and she was gently placed on her side before blankets that failed to imitate the warrior's warmth were tenderly wrapped around her.

"I asked you a question," Xehanort repeated coldly.

Aqua tensed again and tried to will herself back to sleep. Suddenly, she desperately wanted this to be a dream. She didn't want this to be real anymore.

"I...I..."

Xehanort laughed wildly. "Do I really have to tell you that your behavior is disgraceful to you, your King, and your rank? Do I really have to tell you that you should not get attached to the foundling? You are a royal Keyblade bearer, _surely_ you can do better than a mute foundling."

Terra didn't answer.

"Okay, apparently, I _do_ have to tell you. Do not disgrace yourself by getting attached to the foundling, Terra, she is being sent away tomorrow."

Aqua squeezed her eyes tightly shut and hoped against hope that this was just a dream, a dream that had turned into a nightmare.

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! It is always appreciated! _**

**_Holy crap, guys! I have finally managed to update this story! It is a miracle! Hopefully, it was worth the wait and you enjoyed it. I have been working on my other Terqua story and since that story is COMPLETELY different from this one, it takes me a while to get back into this story's mindset, atmosphere, vibe etc. so I apologize for the wait and the delay. _**

**_Anyway! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks again for reading! _**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"Get up, foundling," Master Xehanort hissed as he mercilessly yanked the covers off of Aqua's sleeping form.

The mermaid jolted awake and sat upright in bed. Her sapphire eyes blinked rapidly while they tried to take in her surroundings and the man scoffing at her.

Secretly, she was hoping that what she had heard him saying to Terra was just a nightmare, but clearly it wasn't. This was_ very_ real. The cruel man glaring at her was real and the malevolent boiling in his eyes was unpleasantly real.

"You are leaving today. Pack your things…that is, if you have any." He eyed her cynically and Aqua glared at him in return.

"You are being sent to Traverse Town where you _might _be able to make yourself useful," the advisor condemned and slung open the door the led to her large closet.

Rubbing her eyes, Aqua shifted onto her knees and listened to Xehanort throw a small bag onto the foot of the bed.

Down the hallway the cerulean girl could hear voices approaching her room. If history repeated itself, the twins were coming to visit her and she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. The twins would either save her or help her pack… Maybe they were the ones that had demanded she leave... Maybe they had grown tired of her and no longer enjoyed her silent presence.

"Good morning, Aqu—" Kairi's greeting fell short at the sight of her father's advisor lurking within Aqua's quarters.

Naminé followed closely behind her redheaded sister and her smile fell at the sight of Xehanort as well. The royal twins already knew that Xehanort being in Aqua's room wasn't a good thing.

"Master Xehanort, what are you doing here?" Kairi asked politely but a frown marred her normally kind, cherub features.

Xehanort stifled a sigh. "I am here to escort Aqua out of the palace, Your Grace."

"What do you mean…_'escort?'_" the redheaded princess inquired firmly.

"Aqua is going to Traverse Town," the sinister man answered curtly.

"On whose orders?" Kairi probed and folded her arms.

"My dear, she clearly _has_ no purpose or business here. It is in the best interest of everyone if she departs today as originally intended."

"Aqua _does_ have a purpose here, Master Xehanort," Naminé meekly stated and almost hid behind her sketchpad as she spoke.

"And what purpose is that, Your Majesty?" Xehanort challenged emotionlessly and Naminé shrank under his sadistic gaze.

"She is going to be a lady in waiting," Kairi blurted out and everyone's eyes widened.

"Oh? Is that so?" Master Xehanort lazily folded his arms behind his hunched back and choked back a snicker.

"Yes," the twins defended in unison.

"I was not informed of such changes. Is the King aware that you two are taking on _another_ lady in waiting?" the advisor countered sharply.

"We were going to tell Father today. So you cannot send her away until we speak with him." Kairi's irritated fingers drummed on her milky forearms.

"You may leave, Master Xehanort. Your services are no longer required here," Naminé stated with queenly poise as she left the doorway so Xehanort could depart.

Master Xehanort nodded and bowed but not before giving Aqua a malicious look that said, '_This isn't over.'_

"Crusty old codger," Kairi grumbled under her breath once the man was out of the room.

"Kairi!" Naminé scolded and playfully pushed at her sibling's shoulder.

"What? We were all thinking it!" the princess with ruby tresses argued and Aqua giggled silently into her hands.

"Aqua, are you okay?" Naminé asked kindly after she suppressed a giggle and sat next to the half human on the stripped bed.

Aqua smiled and nodded.

"I am _so_ sorry we didn't come sooner. Terra warned us that Xehanort was planning on sending you away but I didn't think he would have the nerve to come at dawn…" Kairi apologized and placed a hand over her heart.

Aqua shook her head and her hands, trying to voice that what happened wasn't their fault.

"And we are sorry for springing the lady in waiting thing on you… We wanted to ask you privately so you wouldn't feel pressured to say 'yes'," Naminé added.

"But now, thanks to _Master _Xehanort..." Kairi rolled her eyes, "...you_ do_ feel pressured."

"Anyway! We would like you to be one of our ladies in waiting. We would like it if you stayed here…with us. Unfortunately, unless you are royalty or a servant or lady in waiting or _some_ member of the royal court, you cannot stay here… It's not our rule… it's Xehanort's," Naminé explained as held her head down and stared at the sketchpad in her lap.

Aqua wanted to shrug. What choice did she have? Master Xehanort would throw her out on the street or sell her into slavery unless she took the twins' offer.

Waving her hand dismissively, the mermaid did her best to portray that she knew it was Xehanort's doing and not theirs.

"So what do you think? Do you want to stay?" Kairi asked apprehensively but eagerly.

A warm smile blossomed across Aqua's face before she nodded.

"Great! We will speak with Father at once!" the redhead squealed and scurried out of the room, her pink dress billowing wildly behind her as she ran.

"We will return after we speak with Father and make everything official…that is if you are_ sure_ you are alright with this?" Naminé inquired courteously as got off the bed and lingered in the doorway.

Aqua bobbed her head in assurance before shooing the blonde girl out of her room.

Once the twins were gone, she ran a trembling hand down her face. She was a bit taken back and shaken up by the whole situation. When she came to this palace, she figured that it would come to this eventually. Her time there was limited but she hadn't expected something like this to happen so quickly or so abruptly. She shuttered to think how quickly Xehanort almost sent her away and, in turn, giving her an unintentional death sentence. She also shuttered to think of what Gran would say about her becoming a lady in waiting…

'_A princess serving other princesses… How preposterous. Not to mention unseemly,_' she could practically hear the dowager chastise.

* * *

Naminé and Kairi immediately spoke to Ansem the Wise and demanded that Aqua should remain with them always. The room where she resided officially became _her_ room instead of just a guest room, and, much to Xehanort's dismay, she was _officially _declared a lady in waiting for the princesses.

The validation instantly made Aqua feel more secure about her place there. It began feeling as if she belonged there and the feeling of being an unwanted visitor slowly began to wane.

Daily life didn't change much after she became a lady in waiting. She did what she normally did except she gained more responsibility. The blue maiden was required to be more of a servant than a visitor but her jobs varied from day-to-day. Her tasks and duties depended on what the twins were to do that day.

Having ladies in waiting of her own made her transition a little easier. She knew what they were required to do although human law and standards were different, but that was nothing new to her. She was use to them always surprising her.

Tifa helped her learn the girls' schedules and informed her of the things the twins wanted to avoid and would not tell her of. Like, how they had to take a nap in the afternoons, how they had to have reading lessons, writing lessons, music lessons, dance lessons, and many other mundane stipulations that were required of princesses.

Because she personally knew how unpleasant and boring those seemingly unnecessary things could be, she often helped them skip some of those duties if she could. Aqua would_ accidentally_ forget or _accidentally _leave them unattended during those times. She wasn't as strict as Tifa but not as lenient as Olette. She felt she had found a happy medium and had mastered her new profession to an extent.

However, her new routine was not all work and chores. Most of the time she simply entertained the twins and spent time with them and she enjoyed that. Aqua had grown fond of them. In a way they were like her family and she wanted to make them happy.

Despite the slight change, her days were still spent with the twins, her afternoons and evenings with Terra and sometimes Ventus, and before bed, she would soak her aching feet in the ocean waters off the marble steps and wait for Xion to visit her.

As a whole, her life as a human and in King Ansem's palace had not changed much, but the best days were the days that Terra wasn't busy and could spend time with her while she was with Naminé and Kairi.

"Why do I have to take a nap?" Kairi complained as she glared at the bed Tifa was trying to force her into. "I'm fifteen and I'm not tired."

Aqua smiled as she and Tifa pulled back the bed's rosy covers for the fussy princess.

"I will…just, uh, wait outside," Terra chuckled as he rose to his feet. He pushed the large chair he was sitting in back under the mahogany desk that sat in one of the corners of Kairi's room and tucked his helmet under his arm.

Aqua held up a finger, indicating that she would be with him in a moment.

"Good luck getting Kairi to take her nap," he whispered in her ear on his way out, his warm breath causing her to quiver to her core.

The cerulean half human took in a deep, exasperated, and exaggerated breath and shook her head. Terra knew good and darn well it was nigh impossible to get the feisty princess to nap. This wasn't the first time he had been present before nap time and it also wasn't the first time he had waited on Aqua outside while they _politely_ coerced Kairi into taking a nap.

"I'll be outside," he added and rubbed her shoulders before he turned to leave the lavish cherry colored room.

Aqua nodded and patted one of his hands before motioning for him to leave.

"You have to take a nap because all proper, respectable young ladies take naps," Tifa explained for the umpteenth time.

Kairi huffed and blew her ruby bangs out of her face as she shimmied her way out of her pearl white petticoat.

"None of you take naps," the redhead countered and eased her way into the fluffy bed.

"We aren't princesses," the raven-haired lady responded with a lighthearted smirk before she lifted the covers up over Kairi's form.

_That's what you think,_ Aqua mused and fought the smug smile that threatened to consume her features.

Like Kairi, she was forced to take naps too and she _never_ understood it either. Quite frankly, she_ still_ didn't understand it. Were it up to her, she wouldn't require the twins to do so, but it wasn't up to her, not when Tifa or other servants were around anyway. If it were just she, Ven, or Terra there, Aqua wouldn't make them nap at all and sometimes she didn't.

"Whatever." Kairi sighed and sank down into the bed. "I will see you when I wake up."

"Rest well," Tifa ran her fingers through Kairi's hair and tucked a ruby lock behind her ear before she turned to leave and check on Naminé.

Once Tifa left, Aqua sat down on the bed next to Kairi and smiled at her.

"You understand why I hate these, don't you?" Kairi inquired and shifted onto her back.

The blue-haired woman nodded.

"You know, I'm still not convinced you aren't some kind of princess from some foreign, nameless country," the princess stated while she played with the hemming of her silky sheets.

The mermaid held a finger over her lip and shushed the young girl.

"Secret?" she asked with a giggle.

Aqua winked and patted Kairi's hands as she rose to her feet.

Quietly, the sapphire maiden left Kairi's half of the joined room and ventured into Naminé's.

Unlike her sibling, Naminé didn't complain about naptime as much, but Aqua still knew she didn't care for it much either. Naminé was just different in some aspects.

The princess with flaxen hair was already buried up to her neck beneath blankets of snow, her lashes batting against the covers that encircled her face.

While Tifa took Naminé's sketchpads and scattered crayons off the pale bed, Aqua leaned forward to see if the princess was already asleep.

"Did Kairi scare Terra off?" the blonde princess's blue eyes opened and shimmered as she spoke.

A silent chuckle broke from Aqua's pink lips and she nodded.

"Are you going to spend time with Terra while we nap?" Naminé asked with a yawn.

The azure half human gave another nod.

"That's good." Aqua couldn't see Naminé's mouth but she could tell by the glint in her eyes that she was smiling. "I like it when you two spend time together."

A blue brow quirked.

"Do you love each other?"

Aqua's entire face flushed and she shrugged. She could hear Tifa's soft giggles on the other side of the room.

"Do you like him?"

She didn't think it was possible for her face to get any hotter but she was wrong. After giving Naminé a curt nod, her face felt like a scalding furnace. Even her ears burned.

Naminé squealed a little and hugged her covers. "I knew it!"

She sighed. "It's so cute and romantic! I love it!"

Aqua rolled her eyes and shook her head. She rubbed one of her shoulders and smiled at her before she turned to leave.

"Has he kissed you yet?" the princess sat up in bed and Aqua gave her a stern look as she folded her arms.

"Naminé," Tifa chided gently.

"I know. I know. I need to go to sleep but just tell me if he has kissed you yet and I will go right to sleep. Please?"

Aqua shook her head as she snapped her finger and pointed to the bed.

Taking the hint, Naminé instantly fell back onto her covers.

* * *

"Did you finally get the terrible two to sleep?" Terra asked with a grin as Tifa and Aqua emerged into the hallway.

The mermaid smiled and nodded as she shut the door behind them.

"Barely!" Tifa added as she stretched her back. "And now that they are down, I am going to get something to eat. I'm starving! But I will see you two later."

The black-haired young woman winked at Aqua before strolling down the corridor that led to the dining hall and kitchen.

Once Aqua's face cooled and Tifa was gone, she placed her unique hair behind her ears and began walking towards the library. It was usually where they always went if they were together during the day, unless they were with Ven then, they usually went to the front gate, the kitchen or the foyer.

Aqua had found that she enjoyed Ven's company as much as she enjoyed the twins company. The relationship was similar. Like her relationship with the twins, it was instantaneous. She automatically liked him and gained this almost maternal protectiveness over him, but not as strong as the protectiveness she felt for the twins. Ven was more of a friend and sometimes she was almost disappointed when he wasn't with Terra. Almost.

"Hey…um," Terra began and she felt his large hand loop around her elbow. "I thought we could go somewhere else today. If you wanted."

The maiden was a bit taken back by his request but she complied nonetheless.

It was times like these that she missed her voice. She had so many questions she wanted to ask and she had no way of portraying to him. It didn't matter how good he or anyone else got at reading her or how good she got as communicating with them, there were some things that could never truly be translated without speech.

"No one has taken you to the summit yet, have they?" the warrior inquired as he took Aqua's hand and looped her arm through his so he could escort her properly.

Aqua shook her head and leaned against him a little.

"Good. I thought you might want to get out of the palace for a change since you spend most of your time there. Plus, the fresh air will do you good." Terra nudged her playfully and she giggled softly.

"We can still read of course. We will stop by your room or the library on the way there. I just thought you might want a change of scenery," he rambled a bit and if she didn't know any better, she thought he might be nervous.

* * *

The summit was lovely. Aqua couldn't help but gape at its beauty. It was full of lush greens, tiny bridges over small glimmering streams, ponds showered with lily pads, and an absolutely breathtaking view. She was sure one could see everything from there.

From the summit, she could see the glory of the extravagant castle, the moss-covered mountains that surrounded it, and she was sure she could even see some feathery, sun-kissed clouds from their position.

It was magnificent and her senses were on overload. She could smell the sweet scent of the abundant flora around them and the warm, salty breath of the ocean. Her ears were flooded with the sounds of the nearby waves crashing into the mountains and even the base of the castle's sturdy structure as the birds chirped and the gulls called from above.

The beauty of the scenery around her made the pain in her feet worth it. Her tender feet bled into the soles of her shoes and were she not wearing them, she was sure the steps she took to climb this mountain with Terra would have left marks of crimson.

Aqua knew this journey would cause her pain but she did not hesitate nor did she regret it. In spite of the pain, she had followed Terra to the tops of the high mountain until they were amongst the clouds, laughing and selflessly following him all the way to the top.

"Do you like it?" the bronze warrior asked as Aqua walked to a nearby bench of tawny stone. She didn't regret making this journey but now that she was there, she desperately wanted to get off her unfortunate feet.

With a small smile to hide her pained grimace, Aqua nodded and took a seat. She wanted to remove her shoes but she knew that it would reveal the blood that soaked her shoes and oozed from her feet. If Terra saw, he would fret and demand she go to Aerith. It would ruin their whole day together if they sat in the infirmary only to have Aerith say nothing was physically wrong with her so, Aqua chose to keep her shoes on.

"Ven and I come her a lot to spar and practice. We also like to come up here at night to look at the stars. Sometimes, if we are lucky, we can catch a meteor shower every now and then. Ven _always _drags me out here when there is a meteor shower," Terra explained while looking at the sky with a wistful grin on his face.

Over time, Aqua had learned that Ven and Terra were best friends. She could already tell that Ven looked at Terra like a big brother and probably loved him as if he were. She was also fairly certain the feeling was mutual except Ven would be Terra's _younger_ brother.

"Have you ever seen a meteor shower before?" Terra asked, brining her out of her musings.

Honestly, Aqua wasn't even sure what a meteor shower was so, she could hardly tell him if she had seen one or not. If she wasn't sure what it was, she doubted she had ever seen one. The mermaid hadn't seen much of this world at all so it was very unlikely she had witnessed what Terra called a meteor shower.

Taking an educated guess, Aqua shook her head.

"I'll have to bring you up here when it's dark sometime then. If we don't catch a meteor shower you should at least see what the stars look like from up here."

Eagerly, Aqua bobbed her head in approval. She liked how Terra understood how she marveled at the most trivial and unremarkable things. She thought he would find it strange given he was human and saw these things daily, but he still seemed to understand her fascination somehow.

When she realized Terra was pacing around instead of sitting, she pointed to the seat next to her and gestured for him to calm down. Terra would always get a bit twitchy if he hadn't seen any action for a while or if he was nervous about something. Perhaps being cooped up in the palace all day with her was making him antsy.

Terra inhaled and exhaled deeply before clumsily taking a seat next to her. "Time to read already?"

Aqua nodded and placed the book in his lap.

The Keyblade wielder's brow creased when he noticed where she had folded a page further into the book. "Have you been reading on your own?"

The mermaid pinched her fingers together to indicate she had been doing a little.

Thanks to all the reading they had done together and the reading and writing lessons she had to sit through with the twins, Aqua was starting to catch on and was able to make _some_ sense of the words within the books. It was starting to make sense, not a lot but a little. She still had a lot to learn but she still attempted to read things on her own. She was hoping that she could eventually learn to write too so that communication with others would improve.

"That's great, Aqua!" Terra commended. "I guess this means you won't need me to read to you much longer…"

Instinctively, Aqua wrapped her arms around his armored arm. She hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder while she frantically shook her head 'no.'

"No? You'll still need me?" he chuckled and she felt his thick hair tickling at her forehead.

She nodded.

"Okay." He smiled. "If you say so."

Terra flipped through the pages until he found the place where Aqua had stopped reading, and began reciting the words on the creamy pages.

As the Keyblade wielder began reading aloud, worries began taking root inside of her. She was hardly listening to the words he was reading at all. She mainly listened to the drone and vibration his voice created as her mind wandered farther and farther into dismal terrain.

Her hand drifted to her heart and she could feel its faint, irregular beating. She could feel what the human's called a heart murmur but she knew that wasn't what it was at all. It was her curse. It was what numbered her days and it was also the source of her worry.

Every day, her heart grew weaker because each day Terra drew closer to devoting himself to someone who might not be her. The thought alone make her chest ache abnormally and she didn't want to know what it would feel like if that actually came to pass. She assumed it would feel like death…frigid, tart, prickly, and bitter…

What if Terra only grew to love her as a little child, as a younger sister…? Aqua absolutely adored spending time with Terra and Ventus, but she worried that doing so might jeopardize her romantic relationship with Terra. What if spending time with them was making him see her in a strictly platonic light? What if he grew to love her like he loved Ven? It would be love, but it wasn't the kind of love she needed or wanted. That was not the kind of love that would give her, her immortal heart or save her life.

"Aqua?" the brunette apparently repeated.

The mermaid jumped and blinked rapidly as she crashed back into awareness.

"I asked if you wanted to stop for the day. That was the end of the chapter."

Aqua detached her temple from his steel-plated shoulder and sat upright. Her baby blue eyes darted to the horizon and she noticed the sun was setting. The world now held a deep orange hue as the sun sank into the swollen surface of the rippling ocean.

It was later than she thought it was and they should probably be getting back to the palace. She wanted to see the twins before they went to bed. They would probably be upset if she didn't return soon.

With a heavy sigh, Aqua nodded.

"Are you okay?" the warrior asked softly as he helped the young woman stagger to her feet.

The blue girl smiled at him and patted his cheek as she attempted to ease his worries. She ran her thumb along his cheek gently and she was reminded of the first time she caressed him like that, when he was unconscious, when they first met. He was even warmer now, healthier and not on the brink of death, which only made the caress even more pleasant.

Secretly, she almost wished he remembered the first time they truly met. She wanted him to know what her voice sounded like, that she saved his life, and that she had spoken to him before…

Just like that day on the beach, he leaned into her touch, but this time, his eyes were open. The dark blue of his eyes rested intently on her and she couldn't help but smile and flatten her hand completely against his cheek.

Every time she touched him he was so warm in comparison to her she _always_ felt like she would melt.

"You look so familiar sometimes…" he raved and took hold of her chin with his thumb and index finger, angling her head upward so he could look directly at her.

She blushed, shied away, and cast her gaze to the ground only to have Terra forcefully tilt her head upward again. Her eyes focused on him again but the rose that tinted her cheeks did not fade.

Her heartbeat was hammering in her ears and there was no murmur to it at all. The pounding was powerful, strong, and rhythmic; there was no stutter at all as it bashed into her eardrums.

Completely forgetting she no longer had the ability to speak, Aqua tried to say his name but all that escaped her lips was the breath that was intended to carry the syllables of his name.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" he inquired contemplatively when he saw his name on her roseate lips, his voice low and throaty.

Aqua shrugged a shoulder but his eyes did not leave her lips. He seemed bewitched by them. She wasn't sure if he was looking for her to speak again or if he was thinking about kissing her… She desperately hoped for the latter but she thought her assumption was her lovesick mind imagining things that were not really there.

Her doubts began to fade as his navy eyes became lidded and his hand journeyed from her cheek to her neck.

The mermaid shivered when his fingers curled around the back of her neck, but she didn't flinch at the progression.

Intuitively, her eyes closed and she angled her head up as he gravitated towards her.

"Aqua! Terra!" a voice chimed in the distance when they were merely a breath apart.

Aqua recoiled and Terra quickly snatched his hand away from her neck.

The duo shifted and twitched as they attempted to regain a normal proximity of each other.

"There you two are!" Ventus cried excitedly between breaths as he rapidly approached them. "I thought I'd find you two up here."

"Hey, Ven," the brown-haired warrior greeted and cleared his throat awkwardly as Aqua smiled and meekly waved at the lively blonde boy.

"What are you two up to?"

"Uh…we were…just um," Terra rambled and struggled for words.

Taking matters into her own hands, the mermaid lifted the book she held in her hand and pointed to it.

"Reading?" Ven said with a laugh. "I'm not surprised."

Aqua beamed arrogantly at Terra, reveling in the fact that she had managed to communicate better without a voice than he could _with _one.

"You know, Terra _never_ read before," the blonde Keyblade bearer stated matter of factly and Terra blanched.

Aqua's eyes widened before crossing her arms and glancing back at Terra again, giving him a impish look that said_, 'is that so?'_

The bronze warrior blushed a little and gave a quirky smile.

"In fact, I'm pretty sure he hated it until you came here. Now it is all he does!"

"Okay! That's enough! We get it!" Terra interrupted the younger boy's ramblings but Aqua was still hiding her silent titters in her hands. "So, why are you here?"

"Oh…um," Ven blushed a little. "Naminé asked me to look for you. She and Kairi are at their music lesson right now, but they want to see you before dinner and all that. I told Naminé I would look for you and give you the message if I found you."

Aqua simpered. She couldn't help it. Ven's crush on Naminé was absolutely adorable! At first, she thought he was just being nice to her because he kind of had to be given their circumstances and Xehanort's demands, but she quickly learned after watching them interact with one another for a while, that Ven genuinely liked Naminé. She didn't know how he felt about her at the beginning of their little arrangement but he certainly liked her now. However, Aqua wasn't sure if Naminé reciprocated the sentiment…

The mermaid walked to Ventus and patted him on the head and motioned for him to walk back with her back to the palace.

"Come on, Terra!" Ven called as he excitedly followed Aqua down the mountain path. "We are heading back!"

It made Aqua happy to know that Ven could understand her almost as well as Terra did. Ventus was very attentive and that made communicating with him almost effortless.

"Right," Terra said and he shook his head as if he were lost in thought. "I'm coming," he added as he ran to catch up with them.

* * *

Once the twins were in bed and Aqua was given official leave for the night, she went to the marble steps to soak her aching feet in the merciful ocean swell.

It had been a long day and her feet were in absolute and utter agony. If feet could scream, she was sure hers would.

In hindsight, Aqua thought that maybe she should have worn shoes on her journey to the steps since she had left bloody foot prints in her wake, but her feet were in so much pain, the mere thought of putting on shoes again make her feet sting. In fact, the thought of wearing anything other than her white nightgown made her uncomfortable. All she wanted to do was soak her feet, visit with Xion, go back to her room, and pass out in her bed.

The sapphire maiden held her head in her hands and sighed heavily as she lazily wriggled her toes in the soothing liquid. She hoped the journey back to her bed would be more pleasant than the journey to her steps. She also hoped that she wouldn't bleed anymore after she gave her feet a good soak.

"How are you today?" Xion's tender voice resonated around her and she smiled at the lovely, nostalgic feeling her voice gave her.

Aqua sighed again and shook her head.

"Long day?"

The mermaid gave a weak nod.

"You look tired, child," a second voice sounded and Aqua's heart sank into the pit of her stomach like a rock.

'_Gran?'_ she mouthed silently as her head popped up.

Sure enough, her grandmother was before her, her hands reaching for her.

Without a second thought Aqua lunged forward, neglecting her grandmother's hands and embracing her neck instead. She was getting her nightgown wet but she didn't care. Her Gran was there!

Aqua rested her head on the dowager's shoulder as the elder patted her back and ran her fingers through her short, cobalt tresses.

'_Gran,'_ she whispered into her neck as she hugged her.

The cerulean girl couldn't believe her grandmother was actually there! It had been decades since Gran had surfaced and even longer since she had been this close to human establishments and domains. Never in a million years would she have thought her grandmother would venture this close to visit her… She was so thrilled that her chest tingled.

For a long time, she was merely held by her regal grandmother. Aqua could feel her Gran's fathomless disappointment and grief as she held her. She didn't want to know what she thought of her or how hurt she truly was. No doubt she had made her old heart bleed…

Aqua's eyes opened and in the distance, she could see her father's form. His crown shone in the white moonlight and levitated ethereally above the water's glimmering surface. King Eraqus stretched out his hand for her, but he did not venture any closer. He did not come to the castle submerged steps as Gran and Xion did…

With a heavy heart, Aqua reached out for him as well over Gran's shoulder. She didn't release her grandmother. She couldn't but she did reach for him just as he reached for her. A foreign sensation swelled inside her and burned behind her eyes. It stung and it felt as if her eyes might rupture. Aqua was actually surprised when they didn't.

She wanted to ask Gran what was wrong with her eyes, but she couldn't speak, which meant she couldn't question her grandmother as she used to…

Racked with sadness, Aqua hid her face in Gran's neck and forced their embrace to continue in an attempt to ease all their woes.

* * *

The visit with her Gran and her father was _very_ bittersweet. It was wonderful being that close to Gran and seeing both of them again, but it was dreadful hearing how disappointed and sad they were by what she had done. It was painful and heartbreaking, but she hadn't expected anything else… She was just grateful they weren't so hurt that they refused to see her. Maybe, with time, they could accept her choices and understand why she did what she did, and not mourn for her as they did now.

Aqua wasn't sleepy anymore, or maybe she was so sleepy that she wasn't anymore. Even if she _was _sleepy, she doubted she could rest; her mind was too turbulent, her heart too unsettled, her soul too sore.

Instead of venturing back to her bedroom, she aimlessly walked along the beach. She liked walking, she did but she couldn't enjoy it because of the knives she walked upon daily. She would probably even journey out on her own more if it wasn't for her ailment and she definitely would have enjoyed her walk to the summit with Terra more…

Since water was the only thing that helped her feet, Aqua chose to talk a walk in the tide.

It felt just as she hoped it would. It didn't feet as good as merely soaking her feet but it didn't feel as bad as walking on dry land, so she was actually able to enjoy it a little. She was glad that sometimes, walking could be something other than a harrowing chore to avoid.

The sea called to her. It beckoned her and she was helpless to ignore its persistent call.

The half human knew she could not swim anymore, but that didn't keep her from wading further and further into the tidal flow. It consumed her ankles, her knees, her hips, and finally her stomach. For the first time since she obtained legs, she almost missed the sea.

Although the ocean was no longer her home, it was still familiar. It still calmed her and felt magnificent on her skin. She knew the sea would always be a part of her no matter what changes she underwent and she accepted that and in that moment she indulged in it and the peace it gave her.

"Aqua?" someone called and it caused her to jump out of her skin.

Turning quickly, she realized it was Terra who spoke to her. He was standing on the edge of the water with a very perplexed look on his face. The warrior was clad only in loose beige pants that hung on his hips and metal boots did not adorn his feet.

Aqua had never seen him without his armor on before…

_What on earth is** he** doing out here this time of night? _

Aqua was sure she looked like a nymph or a siren in the moon kissed water like this. That was likely the reason he was looking at her the way he was. She hoped that her being in her natural environment wouldn't indicate or signal her true nature, what she really was. She was afraid of what he would think of her if he knew… After all, Gran told her that men found fish tails ugly. She didn't have one anymore but she was still a mermaid…and that fact could be enough to turn him away or send him into someone else's arms.

"There you are. I have been looking all over for you. What are you doing out here?" he asked curiously, his brow deeply furrowed.

_I was going to ask you the same thing, _she thought before she began silently trekking through the water toward him. She made no effort to answer him. She couldn't answer his question anyway. He should know better than to ask her anything that didn't dictate a 'yes' or 'no' answer.

"Hey, are you okay?" Terra questioned with sweeping amounts of concern as he wadded out into the water to meet her halfway.

The mermaid nodded but didn't regard him. She was a little too embarrassed to. Aqua merely bore holes into the water around them instead.

"Aqua," he called and took hold of her arms, gently shaking her as if he were trying to bring her out of a trance.

"What's wrong?" the Keyblade wielder demanded, his midnight blue eyes narrowed, his tone dire and laced with curiosity, agitation, and anxiety.

Her face flushed and she tucked her arms away against her chest. She resisted the urge to hide her face in her hands. This was embarrassing, being seen this way. He found her strange enough as it was and now he had caught her wading waist deep in water in the middle of the night, with nothing but her nightgown on. At this rate, he would _never_ fall in love with someone as bizarre and odd as her. She was hopeless.

"I went to your room. I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see if you wanted to read some before bed, but you weren't there or on the steps…so, I went looking for you. Obviously." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I was…worried."

Aqua's brow rose in query.

Why was he worried? This wasn't the first time she went out wandering at night, but this was the first time she had went somewhere other than the marble steps where she met Xion. Maybe he_ did_ only see her as a sister... That would explain his continual concern for her and his protectiveness... Maybe he _wasn't_ going to kiss her earlier... Maybe she_ was_ just imagining it because she wanted to see it so badly.

She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders to ward off a nonexistent cold.

"Are you okay?" he asked again after he looked her over to make sure she was all right physically.

"You seem…sad,"Terra added when he noticed the somber look in her distant eyes.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't a _little _sad. The gravity of her situation with him was bearing down on her, she was realizing he probably only saw her as a little sister, she witnessed the grief she had dealt to her family, and she was feeling subtle symptoms of homesickness… All of that was woven together into a cumbersome wad that sat very heavy in her stomach. Every inch of her being was racked with sadness, guilt, and worry. It wasn't her best day, she would admit.

"Are you going to communicate with me?" He sounded irritated. He was losing his patience with her.

Aqua began chewing on her bottom lip. She was at a loss; truly, she was. She didn't know what to tell him. Better yet, she didn't know_ how_ to tell him what he wanted to hear. She couldn't speak and this level of conversation required words, words that she didn't have.

Unable to think of another way to communicate, she tentatively placed her hands on his tan chest and she felt his breathing snag in his sternum.

She looked up at him with timid eyes as she felt his heartbeat hammer against her hand. His heartbeat was _much_ stronger than hers, even on her best day.

The need for the comfort he always provided was too much and she found herself briskly wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest without warning. His powerful arms slowly wound around her and she automatically squeezed him tighter.

She needed this. She needed the assurance that she hadn't made a_ huge_ mistake. That the Sea Witch was wrong when she said that her choice to split her fishtail would only bring her more unbearable sorrow. That she had done the right thing by choosing to be with him, to be in the world that she loved and admired so much. That she was capable of gaining a heart, his undying love, and the life that she always wanted on land, that all of this wasn't in vain…

Her burning eyes closed as she held onto him for dear life. Terra continued to hold her securely to him as he offered her sincere solace.

When she felt him pulling away, she started to panic and tried to hold onto him for a moment longer.

Just as Aqua was about to object to the separation and nestle back into the comforting warmth of his chest, she felt something foreign and warm cascading across her lips. Her blue eyes went wide and she realized he was_ kissing_ her.

Aqua was still relatively new to human customs and norms but she was pretty sure that kissing like _this_ was something that was strictly reserved for humans and their lovers, wives, and counterparts. If he only cared for her in a platonic way, he wouldn't be kissing her like this.

The instant Aqua's body caught up with her frantic, muddled mind, she wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and reeled him closer, completely pressing her body to his.

A low growl reverberated in Terra's throat and he pulled her to him by her dainty waist.

Her heart was going to beat right out of her chest and sink right to the bottom of the ocean she just knew it. The vital organ in her chest had never beaten so quickly in her life. Her head was swimming, she felt light-headed, and she knew if Terra were not holding her by her waist, her weak legs would have given way.

The mermaid shivered against the heat that radiated off his body and seeped into hers. His lips were scalding, his breath was warm, his taste was sweet yet sharp, and his musk hung heavy in the air around her.

It wasn't enough and too much all at once. She had _never_ felt anything like it in her life.

"I'm…I'm so sorry," he whispered as he pulled away and gently rested his forehead on hers.

Aqua shook her head back and forth as she tried to regain her fleeting senses.

"I-I shouldn't have—" Before he could finish, she had melded her lips with his again. Her hands tenderly held his face so that he would stay where she wanted him, where he belonged in her opinion, with her.

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! And a big thank you to everyone that has followed/favorited/reviewed! You guys are the BEST and you keep this story alive! **_

_**I apologize for the delayed update! I will try to do better! I'm trying to immerse myself back into this universe and sometimes it takes me a minute! But hopefully this chapter was worth the wait? Right? RIGHT!? Okay. I am calming down now. **_

**_Yay! It was another fluffy one! But next time things may not be as fluffy! We may be getting some bad news in the next chapter so hold onto your pants people! _**

**_Reminders: This isn't Disney so kissing isn't the solution to all our problems! Remember, in this story, a kiss isn't enough. He has to truly and wholeheartedly love her before she gets a happy ending! But we are still happy they kissed though! Right? Progress is progress! _**

**_I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks again for reading! Review? Maybe? Pretty please? :) _**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way shape or form. I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Things were not going the way Aqua hoped they would after she and Terra shared their first kiss. Not that she was expecting anything drastic or intense to occur, she was just hoping for more because she _needed_ more.

The mermaid wasn't unhappy, far from it. She was actually happier than she had been in a very long time but she was still…unsettled.

Aqua and Terra were virtually inseparable and they had a wonderful, caring relationship that blossomed a bit more each day. With the passing of each day and with the rise and fall of the sun and moon, she loved him more and more. However, she did not think that he loved her and that was a problem. If he did love her, he never said so, at least, not yet.

Another thing that made Aqua was uneasy was the fact that she didn't know how she was supposed to feel, how her heart should feel. How would she know if she had gained her immortal heart? How would she know if she had obtained the undying love of the Keyblade wielder? Would she feel different or would it be subtle? She could have it now but she would have no way of knowing!

It was frustrating, being in the dark, being confused and unsure. She wished she could talk to someone or ask someone; preferably someone who wasn't a seawitch…

Aqua knew that Terra didn't love her in the way that Gran and the seawitch had described. They said that he had to love her so much that he would give his life for her and he would have to love her and her alone. He would have to love her with all of his heart. He would have to promise to be true solely to her forever…

The more she dwelled on it, the more unobtainable it seemed. That kind of love was a lot to ask of someone, of _anyone_. Even if he did love her, and she didn't know that he did, would he ever love her with that much fever and devotion? Could he ever offer her the love she so desperately wanted and needed? Could he love her like she loved him?

Aqua sighed dejectedly and gazed out the clear, glossy window to take in the lovely ocean view beyond the sleek surface, trying her best not to think about what would happen if she couldn't obtain the love that Gran and the seawitch described, what would happen if Terra married another…

"Vanitas, stop it!" Kairi's cries brought the blue maiden's attention away from the seaside landscape outside the large, bay window.

Vanitas had taken Kairi's good luck charm away from her. Again. He was holding the helpless charm out in front of her, taunting her with it as she attempted to take it back from him.

"Give it back!" the redhead demanded as she rushed at the young man with coal-black hair.

"Not until you say 'please'," he goaded and dangled the cherished amulet between his long fingers. "You know, for a princess, you aren't very polite."

"Did you ever think that I'm simply not polite to_ you_ because it is all but impossible to be polite around you?" Kairi snapped and reached for the charm yet again only to fail.

Vanitas placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Kairi, I am hurt that you would say such a thing to me. You shouldn't say things like that to someone who may be your future husband."

"Vanitas, just give her, her charm back," Ventus called from Namine's quarters. Apparently, the fight was disturbing them as well even though they were a room away within Namine's section of the joined chamber.

Unfortunately, it was the day the twins were required to spend the day with their…_suitors_ and things were not going well. Aqua was merely there for moral support but she couldn't do much else without Xehanort ripping her apart. Vanitas had a nasty habit of telling on her if she interfered in any way. That didn't keep her from doing so however.

"She didn't say please," Vanitas countered smugly and tossed the talisman up and down in his palm.

Kairi huffed and looked in Aqua's direction. The mermaid sighed and gave the princess a look that said, _'just do what he wants so we can move on. Your life will be a lot easier if you do_.'

Kairi rolled her azure eyes but nodded her understanding.

"Vanitas," the princess with cherry tresses said calmly and elegantly as she leaned toward him. "May I _please_ have my good luck charm back?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Vanitas relented with a bow and gallantly offered Kairi the charm.

Kairi snatched the good luck charm away and retreated to the other side of her side of the room where Aqua sat.

She took the empty seat next to the cerulean maiden on the divan that rested in front of one of her room's many oversized windows.

The mermaid welcomed her company but she knew that it was only a matter of time before Vanitas got bored and began pestering someone again. Sadly, that someone was usually Kairi but Aqua seriously doubted he did so out of childish affection. The boy was simply a pest who enjoyed tormenting and getting a rise out of others. Chaos and havoc were his forte.

"I can't stand him…" Kairi whispered as she inspected her charm to make sure he hadn't harmed it.

Aqua shook her head and placed a finger over her lips.

"I know. I shouldn't say that but it's true. I could never marry him... I don't care what Xehanort says. How can I marry someone I can't stand?"

Even if Aqua could speak, she would be at a loss for words. She wished she could tell her that she wouldn't have to marry Vanitas but Aqua didn't have the power to make that promise. Only her father could give her that assurance.

Aqua knew the settlement between the twins and Vanitas and Ventus wasn't an arranged marriage, it was more like a _suggested_ one, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant. She knew that Ansem the Wise told his daughters they wouldn't have to marry them if they didn't want to and that ultimately the choice was theirs but she couldn't help but worry and wonder that if push came to shove, Xehanort and Ansem would make one of the twins marry either Ventus or Vanitas to keep the peace between his and Yen Sid's kingdoms… The fact that Xehanort had been pushing the idea of an arranged marriage, specifically between Kairi and Vanitas, more and more lately did nothing to ease Aqua's worries.

When commotion erupted from Namine's side of the room, Aqua and Kairi rolled their eyes.

_Oh, well, at least he isn't tormenting Kairi anymore, _she mused.

"Where is Terra today?" Kairi asked over the ruckus reverberating in the other room.

Aqua released a heavy exhale. It was a good question but it was also one she couldn't answer. She didn't know where Terra was. Off doing some Keyblade bearer task for the King since Vanitas and Ventus were having their day with the twins she assumed but she wasn't sure. He didn't tell her but she didn't really expect him to. He was not required or obligated to. It wasn't like she was his wife or anything…

After a moment of silence, the sapphire mermaid shrugged a shoulder.

"He didn't tell you?" Kairi asked, appalled.

The mermaid shook her head in response.

The twins had a tendency to exaggerate and read into things too much and they didn't disappoint when it came to Aqua and Terra or their relationship. The twins acted like they were married or at least engaged, which they weren't, but the twins clearly wanted them to be. Sometimes, Aqua thought they tried to live vicariously through her.

"Well, I'm just going to start asking him questions for you. Just because you can't talk, doesn't mean that he doesn't need to tell you what he is doing! He won't get off the hook that easy!" the princess continued and Aqua giggled silently into one of her porcelain hands.

Honestly, the blue-haired girl didn't think she would have asked him even if she _did _have the ability to speak. That just wasn't her. She tried not to pry or cling. She did sometimes but she tried not to. She wanted to trust him and she wanted him to confide in her because he wanted to, not because he felt obligated to.

"Anyway," the red-haired maiden waved her hand dismissively, "He went with Father and Xehanort to Twilight Town. I think he is playing bodyguard or something while they…negotiate. They shouldn't be gone long."

The mermaid could sense Kairi's unease and it was contagious. They both knew foreign affairs with Twilight Town were always a risky and dangerous. For the twins, their father going to Twilight Town meant he could return and tell them they would have to marry in order to keep the peace; no questions asked. For everyone else, it meant the King could return only to inform them that they were finally going to war with the neighboring kingdom. Most of the time neither of those things occurred but it was always a frightening and very real possibility.

Aqua wanted to ask if she knew specifically why Ansem the Wise was going to Twilight Town. For some reason, the thought of him going there at all made her nervous and a bit nauseous. It always made her anxious but this time was different…

Her breathing grew uneven and she reclined on the divan in hope that reclining would help her senses calm down. Her chest began to hurt and her fragile heart palpitated in erratic ways, fluttering like a wounded bird in a small cage.

The mermaid lied across the divan, closed her eyes, and feigned sleep, hoping against hope that this invisible ailment would depart.

* * *

Terra was gone for three days but Aqua didn't see him for four. It was the longest she had gone without seeing him since she came to Ansem the Wise's palace.

Between her juggling the twins and him juggling his training, and his wielder duties, there was little time for them to cross paths. But when they did finally cross paths, Terra looked exhausted. He was putting on a brave front for her but she could tell he was very tired.

Xehanort was running him ragged, probably to keep him away from her. It was no surprise that Xehanort wasn't happy about their budding relationship, but he was the only one. Everyone else seemed tickled pink. Well, everyone who mattered. She wasn't sure how the royal guards, Dilan, Aeleus, and Braig, felt but their opinions weren't as important in her eyes. She doubted they even cared.

Aqua and Terra had ventured to the Summit alone; aside from Boko, the large, tawny chocobo she had ridden in order to get there. The bronze warrior had picked up on her struggles with her feet after their second trip to the Summit. He no longer allowed her to walk all the way there on foot since her feet continued to torment her. She was growing accustomed to the continual pain and her endurance had increased tenfold but she still had her limits and she was still handicapped in comparison to normal humans.

Initially, the blue-haired mermaid objected to the special treatment Terra offered but her feet ultimately thanked her for her reluctant compliance. It did make her life easier and the trip more enjoyable so she was grateful to Terra and his keen observance and chivalry.

The mermaid sat on the ledge of the Summit overlooking the castle, her feet helplessly dangling over the steep edge as she lazily kicked them back and forth. Normally, she would cross her legs but the urge to let the wind lick her raw feet was too strong to ignore.

Stoically, Terra stood next to her, his hands buried within the unseen pockets of his bronze armor.

They seemed content with the silence. Aqua knew that she was but she often wondered if he was. Perhaps she bored him. Perhaps her silence was too much sometimes. Perhaps Terra wanted more out of a significant other. Perhaps quiet afternoons on the Summit and evenings reading together weren't enough for him.

Shyly, Aqua peeked over her shoulder at him. His midnight blue gaze was fixed upon the castle of gold and ivory, his brow furrowed at if he were deep in thought.

There were many fleeting moments when Aqua missed her voice and wished that she had the ability to speak, but to her, she missed it the most when she was with him, when she felt she needed to ask him if something was troubling him, and at that moment, something was clearly troubling him.

The Keyblade wielder had been unnaturally quiet and distant since his return from Twilight Town. Things must be worse than she thought. When the King returned from Yen Sid's kingdom, he gave no indication that things hadn't gone as planned or that things were about to get ugly, so Aqua merely assumed that things had gone well. However, the expression on Terra's face and his bleak demeanor suggested otherwise.

Things were getting worse and tensions were rising, which meant it was only a matter of time before something would have to be done to break the tension.

The blue-haired girl was worried about the twins and she figured he was as well. This situation did not bode well for them. Terra's demeanor confirmed Aqua's worries that Xehanort was pushing the arranged marriages more than ever because things were getting worse, not because he was a cruel man who enjoyed the anguish of others, of those he did not like. Unfortunately, Xehanort was likely pushing the physical treaty to prevent war, to help the kingdom, to help Ansem, and ultimately, help himself by being the individual to sustain another era of peace.

Aqua doubted Xehanort cared about peace or the greater good, he simply cared about his own personal gains and accomplishments and if he could take credit for helping prevent war, he would likely get a hefty reward and shining credentials.

She wanted to ask Terra about all of this, about his troubles, and obvious worries but she couldn't.

Aqua couldn't speak but she still had other ways of communicating.

The mermaid crawled to her stinging feet, lifted the hem of her shimmering navy blue dress, and approached the contemplative Keyblade bearer. His dark eyes left the castle and focused on her, the hard expression vanishing the instant his eyes met hers, the corner of his mouth curving into a subtle grin.

Oh, how she loved how his eyes lit up when he looked at her, how all the worry and vexation would always disperse the moment she stole his attention. The looks he gave her were undoubtedly looks of fondness and affection but it wasn't love…

'_Do you still not love me, Terra?'_ her eyes seemed to say when he tenderly took her in his arms, pulling her flush against him before planting a warm kiss upon her forehead.

The warmth of that simple action surged through her like wildfire. She closed her eyes, rested her cheek on the sturdy plains of his chest, and indulged in it as the heat flowed through her like rolling waves of scalding fire. The fiery tide swelled through her face as her cheeks heated and flushed before churning through her body and finally settling heavily within the pit of her stomach where it continued to radiate heat throughout her being. It was the way she always felt when he touched her, kissed her, or held her. He prodded an unnatural, breathtaking fire within her that burned ceaselessly as they held contact with one another, only dispersing when their contact was severed.

Sometimes, Aqua mistook that remarkable feeling for a cure; for an immortal heart but all hope would vanish with the warmth the instant he would leave her. She knew if she had truly obtained her heart, it would not leave her when he did.

Perhaps the warmth was only an indication of what she was so close to; a promise of what could possibly someday be hers; a sign that he was close to loving her in a way that would give her everything that she ever hoped for. Clearly, he didn't love her that way yet for she grew weaker by the day. The curse had not been broken and her heart still ached. Terra cared for her deeply but he did not love her, not in the way that would break the hex, not in the way that would give her the heart she desired.

Dainty porcelain arms wound tighter around the warrior's thick waist and she pressed her ear to the flesh that protected his heart. Her bright eyes fluttered as did her heart as she listened to the strong, brawny pounding of his heart, her weak vital organ throbbing and pulsing in vain in an insufficient attempt to mimic the powerful beating that thumped in her ear.

Tanned fingers enveloped her chin, gently angling her head up so he could regard her and look down into her dazzling eyes, the forlorn eyes that cried out to him and solemnly asked him if he could ever love her as much as she loved him.

Terra gazed down into her eyes, fondly running his thumbs along her soft, rosy cheeks as he held her face securely within his large hands and she could tell he was trying to analyze what her eyes were desperately trying to tell him. They spoke volumes if he looked at them the right way but sometimes he couldn't always translate what she was trying to say and unfortunately, this was one of those times.

Aqua didn't understand. He looked at her like he loved her, he acted like he loved her but alas; he did not. She could feel it. As long as she felt that ache in her chest, the pain in her heart, the constriction around her lungs, she would know that he didn't love her and that she was still imperiled.

"I've missed you," he informed and brushed her unique, ethereal hair off of her face.

'_I've missed you,' _her eyes replied wholeheartedly but she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him to ensure that he knew just how much she had missed him.

* * *

The cool sea swell lapped at Aqua's suffering feet as she sat along the chilled marble steps of the castle. She kicked at the water casually while Xion levitated in the water next to her, telling her all about the occurrences within her former home.

Aqua wasn't surprised to learn that little to nothing had changed. Time flowed differently below. It passed slowly, almost marching in place. Things rarely progressed or changed. Things did not age or change as they did on land. They didn't have seasons nor did they age as rapidly but Aqua found she loved the changes that occurred on land, the indication that things were progressing, that time was indeed moving forward.

The azure female wished she could tell Xion of the differences in upper and lower world. She also wished she could tell Xion more about Terra and how their relationship was going. She wanted to talk to the raven-haired half human as she used to. She wanted to tell her about the King, the princesses, Ven, about the other ladies in waiting, about Aerith, and even about Xehanort and Vanitas. She wanted to inform her of how much she adored Terra, how he was everything she hoped he would be and more, how caring he was, how she felt when he held her or kissed her…

By some miracle, Aqua sometimes hoped that one day she would be able to tell Xion those things. She liked to believe that somehow her voice would return. That someday she might miraculously wake up with the ability to speak again. If she were honest, she would admit that she hoped she could regain her voice when she received her immortal heart.

"I guess I am about to head back," Xion stated as she peered behind Aqua, causing the blue-haired girl to follow her cerulean gaze. "Your man is coming. I better leave before he sees me."

Aqua nodded and gave Xion's hands a quick squeeze before her black-haired friend vanished into the blackened sea.

Once Xion was gone, Aqua couldn't keep herself from straightening her posture and quickly running her fingers through her hair.

Terra made her act such a girl sometimes but she couldn't help it!

"Hey, you," the familiar voice greeted as Terra sat down next to her.

Aqua waved shyly and smiled brightly at him within the darkness of night.

This was becoming a frequent occurrence. Terra would often follow her out to the marble steps if he couldn't find her in her room at night. Aqua enjoyed the company. He made her feel less lonely when Xion left and also made the journey back to her room more pleasant. Not to mention she would never turn down the opportunity to spend more time with him, especially now when he was being deployed more and more.

"You are not afraid of the sea," he said matter of factly, breaking their contented silence.

He was staring down at her feet and how she had submerged them up to her calves.

Aqua realized that he probably found it odd that she was so comfortable with the ocean considering how he found her and what everyone thought happened to her before she arrived there. Logic would suggest that she should be afraid of the sea and should avoid it like plague, but she was often found wading her feet in the water either on the castle's marble steps or along the ocean shore itself.

She grinned at his assumption in spite of herself. Of course, she wasn't afraid of the. If only he knew just how comfortable with the sea she truly was. She knew the ocean better than any human ever could.

After a moment of musing, Aqua merely shook her head in response.

"I wasn't really either until I almost drowned…" Terra said as he stared blankly at the billowing ocean.

Aqua's heart skipped a beat as he mentioned his near death experience, the night she first laid eye on him, the night she saved his life, the night that changed everything.

Eventually, she regained her composure and looked at him expectantly, attempting to coax him into continuing.

"I wouldn't say that I'm afraid of the ocean now, I just don't look at it the same. It is more threatening and dangerous now," he explained. "It is almost like an opponent that I underestimated, one that almost got the better of me."

Aqua nodded her understanding although she was sure she could never truly grasp the fear some humans had of drowning. She was quite sure she could drown now as easily as he could, but she still felt immune to the ocean's tortures. She still felt as if it was physically impossible for her to drown. The hands of the sea would not haul her to her demise. She knew that. The sea did not harm its children, even if they had left its embrace and ventured onto land where they walked upon stout props instead of swimming through the bluest tides with a fish's tail.

"It isn't that I can't swim but the night I almost drowned, there was a storm and our ship foundered and I went back in to save some of the other passengers and ended up almost drowning myself," Terra chuckled and shook his head dejectedly. He was clearly disappointed in himself and wasn't entirely comfortable talking about this but he continued nonetheless which made Aqua feel special. He was opening up to her even though he was ashamed and that meant a lot to her.

"Want to know a secret?" he added and Aqua nodded excitedly before reaching down and taking his hand in hers so she could give it an encouraging squeeze.

"I don't know how I _didn't_ drown. There was no way that I should have survived." The bronze warrior laced his fingers with hers and stroked his thumb along hers as he spoke pensively. "I remember going under, being hit by the debris of the ship and choking on waves until I lost consciousness but I don't really remember anything else. I _almost_ remember being carried by the waves to shore…but what's even crazier is that it felt surprisingly like arms instead of ocean waves. I could have sworn someone carried me to the shore I woke up on, maybe even talked to me…but that's impossible."

The mermaid's frantic heart wanted to hammer its way out of her chest. She wished she could scream. She _wanted_ to scream. She needed to tell him that it _was_ possible, that it was she! She was the reason he was living and breathing beside her at that every moment.

Terra laughed when he caught himself rambling dreamily. "You must think I'm crazy..."

Aqua shook her head slowly and placed another hand on top of the tanned hand she already held.

"I've never told anyone that before. I always left that part out. I knew everyone would think I was crazy if I told them about my dreams, memories, or delusions I had about that night. Feeling arms, hearing voices, seeing apparitions…but I guess that is all part of near death experiences right?"

A small smile blossomed across Aqua's pink lips as she nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"Do you remember anything from before? Before I found you? Like what happened to you? How you ended up here? How you got hurt? Anything?" he asked and the concern and hurt in his voice wasn't lost on her. She could sense that he didn't like thinking about what happened to her, what caused her to lose her voice, her stamina and the ability to walk freely without pain.

Aqua nodded.

The young woman saw no point in lying to him. She was shocked at how easy it would be to lie without even having the ability to speak, maybe even easier.

"Do you have any strange memories?" he inquired, clearly eager to have someone tell him that he wasn't out of his mind and that he wasn't the only one to experience hallucinations or interact with apparitions.

The mermaid bobbed her head although she doubted her answer was truly the one he was seeking or was it a complete truth. Her memories of before, of losing her voice and tail were strange but they were not hazy, incoherent memories like his. Terra wasn't even sure if his had even occurred. He viewed them as delusions, figments of his imagination although they were very real.

"Good. That makes me feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one," he smiled before casting his gaze back to the still waters before them but he didn't release her hand.

Aqua wished she could tell him that they weren't delusions or hallucinations brought on by a near death experience. She wanted to tell him that it was real, that it was she. That he wouldn't have lived were it not for her. That the arms he felt were hers, that the voice he heard was hers, and that who he thought he saw when he came to was she…

There was a long moment of quiet before Terra looked back at her again.

"I guess I was just dreaming about what was going on around me while I was going in and out of consciousness. I woke up on a shore of the Destiny Islands in a girl's arms. I suppose it was just her that I was sensing and dreaming about it." The warrior gave an unenthusiastic shrug and Aqua's throat threatened to swell shut. She was gradually losing the ability to breathe.

"You know, you kind of remind me of her…" Terra raved as he squinted, analyzing Aqua's features so closely it caused her face to redden.

A blue brow rose in suspicion, silently asking him _'who?'_, hoping against hope that he was referring to her, the mermaid with short, blue hair who kept him from drowning at the hands of the sea.

"The girl who saved my life," he replied with certainty and Aqua's heart didn't know if it should flutter excitedly or plummet into the pit of her stomach. "I only saw her a few times but she is the one who found me on the beach and nursed me back to health. You don't necessarily look alike but for some reason, you remind me of her. I think that is why you are so familiar to me sometimes."

Aqua's heart decided to make a violent plunge into her gut, a plunge so aggressive and fierce that her whole body felt the aftershocks.

He didn't know… He didn't know it was she… There had been moments that she thought he knew, that she thought he remembered her, recognized her and almost acknowledged what she had done for him but alas, he did not. He only held association to her because of the girl who found him on the beach. It was his memory of that girl who sang to him, not his memory of her.

Terra thought it was the human; he thought it was her voice, her arms, and her face, he thought those were the characteristics and features of the woman who saved him. The girl who held him when he came to, the girl Aqua gave him to. The girl he smiled at when he finally regained consciousness… She was the only one he remembered. Thus, the memory of the mermaid with blue-hair had blended with the reality of the girl who he saw when he awoke. The human girl was real but Aqua was an illusion that was forever lost within her tyrannical shadow.

It was just as she always feared; she never existed to him before he found her on the marble steps that they sat upon at that very moment. Terra did not know the mermaid, he only knew the foundling and he would never know what the mermaid did for him.

* * *

"I'm going to drop all this!" Ventus exclaimed as he tried his best not to drop all the plates of food and silverware he was carrying.

Aqua giggled and turned on her heel to help Ven carry the load of food intended for their princesses.

Today was yet another day the twins were to spend with Ventus and Vanitas and the young ladies had suggested they go on a picnic within the palace gardens since it was such a lovely day outside.

Aqua and Ventus had offered to get the necessary utensils and items required for the outing. They had wandered around the palace all morning looking for the necessary supplies and had just completed what felt now like a lengthy, unpleasant scavenger hunt.

The cerulean maiden placed the large picnic basket she as carrying on the ground so she could help Ventus with his haul of food and silverware. She took some of the items in her arms and placed some of the others within the picnic basket that was already bursting at the seams.

Ventus released a sigh of relief when Aqua took some of the weight from his arms.

"Thank you!" he said breathlessly while trying to regain his shaky equilibrium.

Aqua patted his shoulder and picked the basket off the ground so they could continue their trek to the lavish gardens.

Almost halfway out of the palace, Aqua realized they had forgotten to get a blanket for everyone to sit on. She gently seized Ven's arm and motioned for him to wait for her in the corridor.

"What is it?" he inquired with a creased brow. "Did we forget something?"

Aqua nodded and again pointed to the ground, attempting to instruct the young man to wait for her there.

"Okay. I'll wait here." Ven grinned and plopped into a nearby ornate chair that rested against the handcrafted walls of the corridor. "I needed a break anyway."

The mermaid with azure tresses gave a curt nod before spinning around and retracing her and Ventus's steps.

Strolling down the massive, crimson steps that led to the foyer, Aqua could hear distant voices. They sounded disgruntled. Whoever was speaking was clearly having a heated exchange.

She had thought she could save time by cutting through the foyer that resided within the center of the castle but she hadn't expected the King to be present nor had she expected the doors leading to his throne room to be open. Dilan and Braig flanked each side the massive doorway but the doors were open and she could hear the conversation within…

"_Something has to be done about this, Your Majesty," _a gruff voice barked. _"Either you place one of the twins within an arranged marriage or we go to war." _

The sound of Xehanort's gravely voice caused Aqua to freeze in her tracks and disappear behind a nearby pillar of hard, crystalline limestone.

Aqua knew it was wrong to eavesdrop and she wasn't trying to intentionally, but she didn't want to face Xehanort's wrath. If Braig saw her wandering through the foyer, he would surely tell Xehanort and he would rip her apart for things she hadn't even done. She was merely a passerby but she knew Braig and Xehanort probably wouldn't see it that way.

The mute didn't feel like being questioned unfairly because she didn't have the ability to speak. She didn't want them to put words in her dumb mouth so she chose to hide and avoid the situation and the accusations altogether. Once she was sure neither, Braig nor Dilan would see her, she would turn around and go another way.

"I can't do that to them. They just turned fifteen and I told them that I wouldn't place them into an arranged marriage against their will…" Ansem replied solemnly, his deep voice echoing through his throne room and into the oversized corridor where the mermaid resided.

"If the twins are the loyal, magnificent princesses they calm to be, they will understand and make sacrifices for the greater good of their kingdom," Xehanort snapped.

There was a prolonged silence and Aqua could hear her heart savagely beating in her ears. This was bad…this was very bad. This was the very thing she was afraid of, this was what she was hoping would never come to pass. This was a conversation that she never wanted to occur and it was definitely one she didn't want to hear.

"Is there any other way?" Ansem the Wise inquired, his tone low, dry and humorless.

Yet another moment of silence consumed the space around them and Aqua found her ragged breath quickening. She was terrified of what Xehanort's answer might be. Somehow, what he _wasn't_ saying was even more terrifying than what he _was_ saying.

"I suppose we have _one _other option," the man with yellow eyes grumbled and Aqua could practically hear him stroking the rough, silvery stubble on his angular chin.

"And what might that be?"

"You could propose an arranged marriage between one of your Keyblade bearers and Yen Sid's daughter," Xehanort responded coolly as if it were nothing at all. "Since you are so opposed to_ his_ Keyblade bearers wedding _your _daughters."

"But the only other Keyblade wielder who would be appropriate is Terra and he is involved with Aqua. He may even want to marry her," the King argued and Aqua's hand leapt to her lips as her quivering stomach lurched up into her mouth.

Xehanort scoffed. "If anything, we would be doing Terra a favor. He is a royal Keyblade bearer; he belongs with noblewomen or royalty. Wedding anything less would be an insult to his rank and class. He belongs with someone like Princess Leyla. He does not belong with_...foundlings_."

"I don't believe Terra and Aqua will see it that way…"

"In the long run, their feelings will seem trite and insignificant, Your Majesty, I assure you. What is more important; the feelings of two, or the lives of many?"

Aqua wasn't breathing, she couldn't breathe. She leaned against the pillar for support as all the breath flew out of her body. She gasped for air, but it eluded her and left her to suffocate alone and choke on the miniscule amount of oxygen she managed to pull down her throat. Breath could not reach her lungs. It was as if her lungs were no longer capable of holding air or giving life back to her body.

The mermaid didn't have to listen to the rest of the conversation. She knew Ansem's answer. He would do this. He would arrange a marriage between the Princess of Twilight Town and Terra in order to keep the fragile between the two kingdoms and to preserve his daughter's happiness. Ansem the Wise would do it and as much as it pained her, she couldn't blame him…

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and as always, thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! You guys are the best and motivate me to write more chapters! **_

_**Alright one of my awesome reviewers had a question about Aqua's feet. In the last chapter, I believe I wrote that her actually bled (or something to that effect) and the question was whether or not her feet actually bleed. To answer that question, they do and by that I mean in the Hans Christian Anderson version he wrote about them as if they actually bled and that her steps were marked so I did as well. I believe he wanted it to be literal and also be a form of powerful representation of how much pain she is in in order to be human and to be with the prince (or in my story Keyblade bearer) so I tried to depict it in that fashion as well.**_

_**Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Waiting was torture. Aqua was starting to think that it could even be worse than finally receiving the news she was anticipating. Not to mention how difficult it was pretending like nothing was wrong, pretending like everything was fine, that she didn't know what the King was planning. A part of her just wanted them to get it over so the torture would end.

The King was going to ask Terra to marry the Princess from Twilight Town to keep his daughters out of an arranged marriage and to keep peace within their kingdom.

She didn't know when or how he was going to ask this of him or what Terra would even say but she _did_ know that she couldn't take any moment for granted. She would hold onto Terra as long as she could because her time with him was fleeting. She would go through her daily routine as if she weren't about to lose him, as if this situation couldn't potentially take him away from her, as if she wasn't about to lose him...

Deep down, Aqua knew Terra would accept. She knew because she knew Terra and he would do it so that the twins wouldn't have to and if the roles were reversed, she couldn't say that she would act any differently.

Everyone aside from her, the King, and Xehanort was completely oblivious of what was brewing. To them, it was just another day. Aqua watched as Kairi and Naminé went about their normal routines without a second thought and she envied their obliviousness. She would give almost anything to un-hear what she had heard but she couldn't let on like she knew. She had to act as though it was any other day and that her life didn't depend on what Terra chose to do or what the King blatantly told him to do…

The twins were off to their music lessons, leaving Aqua and the other ladies of waiting inside the palace with their daily chores.

Aqua began making the girls' beds and picking up their clothes and accessories that had been scattered across the room in their haste to prepare for their day. She went through the tasks as quickly as possible so she could get to Terra before the King or Xehanort did. She did so every day so she could extract as much time as she could with him. It was her way of prolonging the inevitable and trying in vain to keep him away from the potential betrothal. It was her way of combating this. It was the only way she knew how to fight it.

As Aqua finished up her chores in Naminé's room and moved on to begin the duties waiting for her in Kairi's room, she heard the massive door to their joined chamber opening. The door squeaked closed and the sound of footsteps approaching reverberated loudly across the girls' quarters. She wasn't sure whom it would be considering the twins weren't present and she was performing duties usually left for other servants. Aside from her, no one had any business within the princesses' room.

The mermaid continued her current task and placed some of the empty, discarded cups and plates that had been used for lunch onto their designated trays before preparing to address the visitor.

Wiping the crumbs off her hands, Aqua entered Naminé's side of the room and saw one of the last people she was hoping to see.

Xehanort stood stoically in the small room, his arms folded behind his back and his eyes boring into her, waiting patiently for her like a spider.

"Aqua," he greeted half-heartedly.

Reluctantly and with cold eyes, Aqua curtsied to the royal advisor.

"I know that the twins are not here but I am not here to speak with them. I am here to speak with you." Xehanort denied her eye contact. He acted as though she wasn't worthy of it and inspected the room for dust instead.

Aqua eyed the man but didn't make an effort to communicate with him. She knew he would say what he wanted and ignore her communication methods regardless.

"I am sure you are aware of the situation with Twilight Town?"

Aqua gave a short nod.

"You also know that an arranged marriage would be a peaceful way to help calm the disturbance and subdue the conflict." Xehanort grazed his finger across the nearby fireplace mantle before cynically inspecting it for dust.

Because this was more of a statement than a question, Aqua didn't give him response.

"And everyone here, except me, seems dead set against the princesses marrying anyone they do not _love_," Xehanort snorted and wiped the dust remnants off his ghostly gloves.

Aqua knew where this was going. She knew the moment it started so she only listened and tried to let on as though she knew nothing of this, as if she_ hadn't_ overheard his conversation with Ansem.

"So I offered the King another solution, one that involves Terra marrying the Princess from Twilight Town instead." The advisor's dark eyes cut to her from.

Aqua grimaced although she knew all of this already but it didn't make hearing it again any less painful, it didn't make hearing it said directly to her any less painful. Each time she heard it, it still felt like a sharp prick to her heart.

"Ansem seemed more willing to sacrifice Terra's feelings instead of those of his daughters and we will be speaking with Terra on the matter as soon as he returns this evening."

Xehanort was suddenly very close to her. Much closer than she was comfortable with and she instinctively took a few steps back but she didn't move quickly enough. He snatched her arm and yanked her towards him so he could glare down at her, so he could intimidate her.

"And if Terra agrees, you will stay away from him," he hissed, his face only a few inches from hers, his eyes burning into hers so fiercely she felt the urge to shield her eyes. "No more running off to the summit together, no more moonlight walks on the beach, no more late night conversations on the marble steps by the ocean, and no more reading! I do not want to see you _anywhere_ near him."

Aqua glared at him. Her regal pride swelling at the audacity this man had to speak to her like this, to treat her like this. If she had her tongue, if she were still a princess, she would have given him a piece of her mind but she didn't have a tongue and she wasn't a princess in this world.

"I refuse to have this arrangement spoiled by something as insignificant as you and whatever it is that is budding between you and Terra. Whatever it is, if he agrees, it stops…_immediately_," Xehanort growled and his nostrils flared. Fear prickled in Aqua's chest. She was starting to think that perhaps Xehanort would take his frustrations out on her right then and there as if she had_ already_ done what he was feverishly telling her not to do.

"Do you understand?" his grip on her arm tightened and twisted, causing Aqua to grimace at the pain. "Understand?!" he howled and shook her by the arm he held.

Slowly, Aqua nodded.

"Good. Now dust this room. It is filthy," he scoffed before throwing her arm back at her so hard it caused her to stumble. The movement was so quick and unforgiving against her fragile feet it sent shots of pain through her soles, causing her legs to buckle. She crumbled to the ground and he didn't lift a finger to help her nor did he give her a second glance.

As Xehanort strolled out of the room, she could hear him cursing her under his breath, mumbling things about her frail, pathetic state.

Once he was gone, the pain only intensified but this pain wasn't in her feet, it was in her chest. It was her heart and she was struggling to breathe. She placed a hand on her chest and fought for her breath, for the fleeting life that coursed through her and weighed so heavily on the actions of another.

Terra hadn't even accepted the proposal yet and her curse was already reacting to the implications of it just as it reacted to the realization that he didn't love her yet but this pain was worse. It took even more of her breath and left her even more lightheaded. If the pain was this bad now, how bad would it be when Terra actually agreed to marry this girl? How bad would it be if he actually married her?

* * *

Just as Xehanort said, Terra was told that he must marry if the twins were to avoid an arranged marriage, that the beautiful daughter of the neighboring King from Twilight Town would be his wife; the _princess_ would be his wife. The marriage would act as a treaty to prevent war and it would keep the twins out of a loveless marriage. It was supposed to be a good thing. It probably _was _a good thing but that didn't stop it from feeling like the worst thing ever.

"He can't do it!" Kairi cried.

"Either he does it or you have to," Tifa stated matter-of-factly. "That or we have a war on our hands."

"But he doesn't love her!" Kairi argued yet again.

"No, but unfortunately, that is usually the way these things work…" Aeirth said gently, her hands folded in her pink lap.

Aqua did her best to remain indifferent throughout all of this. Not being able to speak made that easier and she stared out the window at the ocean to keep her eyes from betraying her. She didn't want to make anyone feel any worse and she didn't want to be pitied.

The mermaid didn't react to the conversation at hand. A numbness had taken over with the acceptance of the inevitability that Terra would marry the other princess. She was at war with herself trying to find peace and dignity within this situation. Her resolve was thick and she would see this through. She began this journey knowing that this was a possibility and she accepted the risks fearlessly and she would see this through to the end in the same manner. She would accept this with grace, bravery, and poise. She wouldn't sully her last days by acting irrationally or impulsively. She wouldn't want them to remember her that way. She would want her memory, her legacy to be as lovely as her undersea garden.

"I could… I could marry Ven…" Naminé said softly, her hands gripping her sketchpad until her knuckles blanched. "I could probably learn to love him…"

That brought Aqua out of her stupor. Immediately, she rose to her feet and approached Naminé. She knelt down in front of her and shook her head rapidly.

As much as it pained her, and as much as she hated this, she still didn't wish a loveless marriage on the twins when they were still so young. She couldn't live with herself if that happened and she was sure Terra couldn't either.

Naminé's eyes began tearing. "But what about you? What about you and Terra?"

Aqua gave Naminé a sad smile and took one of her hands in hers. Again, she shook her head in an attempt to assure her that in comparison, it didn't matter.

"But it does matter!" Kairi wailed. "You love him…"

Bobbing her head in acknowledgement, Aqua concurred but still gave Kairi a stern look that voiced her resolve, her resolve to stay by Terra's side and support him no matter what. After all, wasn't that what real love was? Sometimes, acts of love weren't always black and white. Sometimes, acts of love had to be something different, something painful. Gran always said that real love wasn't impulsive or selfish and Aqua finally understood what she meant because she loved Terra enough that she would do anything for him. She loved him more than she loved herself and because of that, she could accept any pain that her love spawned.

"The King won't let you and Naminé marry now even if you did want to marry Ven or Vanitas. You are too young. He won't have it and by the time you are old enough…war could be on our doorstep…" said Tifa calmly.

Kairi sighed dejectedly and collapsed face first onto her bed. "It's not fair."

Tifa sat on the bed next to the princess and patted her shoulders before running her hands through her ruby tresses. "I know but that's how life is sometimes…and as a princess, you will have to learn that lesson quickly."

Aqua was reminded of her grandmother again. Tifa's words rang true and reminded her of a lot of the speeches Gran would give her about her future as a Queen and how there would be many things in life that she would just have to accept for the greater good. Perhaps those lessons were part of the reason she was able to take all of this as well as she was.

The room stilled. Naminé began drawing again and Kairi began sifting through her seashell collection. Once the twins were temporarily sated, Aqua returned to her perch in front of the window and began gazing out at the ocean again.

"Aqua," Aeirth called as she approached her.

Aqua tore her eyes from the ocean to look at the young healer, her brow rising skeptically at her tone.

"Are you all right? You look pale…" Aerith reached out and placed the back of her hand on her forehead then placed her fingers on the pulse point in her neck.

Aqua desperately hoped Aerith wouldn't catch on to her worsening condition. She hoped that they would just think that her sadness was the source of her ailment and in a way, it was but her ailment wasn't anything natural. It was a curse, magic taking the shape of an actual human disease to hide its true origin.

She couldn't fool Aeirth. She was too good at her craft and she realized that Aqua's state wasn't solely emotional. Aerith knew something else was wrong with her but seeing it wouldn't change the fact that it couldn't be cured. Aqua appreciated the concern nonetheless even if it was for naught.

The seawitch's words swam around in her head like eels, slithering through the wrinkles in her brain and delving into the tender tissue while Aeirth talked about potential causes and remedies, things to help with the _'episodes' _where she grew weak, short of breath, and struggled to walk…

'_I will help you and let you have your way because it will bring you even more unbearable sorrow, my pretty princess. It will amuse me to watch you suffer.'_

The witch was right. Her actions had brought her even more sorrow but this sorrow was different than the sorrow she experienced in the underworld. This pain was completely new but it hurt just as much if not more.

* * *

The news of betrothal and an arranged marriage began swarming around the kingdom like wildfire, which made the announcement all the more real. Aqua could already feel her heart breaking; it was what made her weaker, and frailer by the day. With each rumor, with each passing moment that pulled her farther and farther away from Terra, she felt more and more like she was about to breathe her last.

Things had been going so well… She often mused how close she had been, how happy she had been, how happy _they_ had been together… She had been so close to getting everything she dreamed of but it didn't matter now. Their relationship didn't matter now. Terra accepted and once he accepted, Xehanort publically demanded they separate. They could no longer be together. Moral obligation came first and Aqua understood that. She could not stand in the way of Terra's obligation or what he felt he had to do, what he wanted to do. She could not selfishly stand in the way of peace, peace that was desperately needed between these kingdoms. She would stand down. She would relent even if it meant her life. She would stand back and watch. She would watch him selflessly and nobly take this woman as his wife for his King, for his kingdom, for those he cared for, for everyone but himself, and she would support him.

Aqua didn't feel like the only mute in the castle anymore. It seemed that Terra had also lost his ability to speak. He hadn't spoken a word since the news of his betrothal and she was afraid to talk to him, afraid she might break some unspoken rule, upset him further, or unknowingly make all of this worse. They exchanged glances when they crossed paths but he would not communicate with her. It hurt too much. Aqua couldn't speak, even if she could, she probably wouldn't. What was there to say? What could they say? They would only utter things that would hurt them.

However, because they lived in the same castle, interaction was unavoidable. On her way to see the library, she stumbled upon him, standing over the railing of the castle, blankly staring down at the waters flowing below them.

Aqua timidly approached him and opened her mouth to speak, momentarily forgetting that she couldn't. Her mouth closed and she held her tongue, eyes falling to the ground as anguish began to choke her.

Sensing her presence, Terra glanced over his shoulder at her. His eyes met hers momentarily before they gazed back over the railing.

"I guess you've heard by now…" Terra sighed and stared up at the orange afternoon sky. "I wanted to tell you but I couldn't find the right time or the right words… I just avoided it and hoped that somehow it would present itself or come to me but it never did…"

He held his head down, shaking it and looking completely at a loss. It must have been contagious because she was suddenly at a loss for what to do as well.

"I understand if you hate me. You probably aren't the only one who does. I know the twins aren't happy with me..."

It was true. The twins weren't happy. Although this was for their benefit as well as the benefit of their kingdom, they were still not happy with the sacrifice that had to be made, the sacrifice Terra was making but there wasn't much choice. They had to accept it just like everyone else did.

If Aqua could speak, she would have told him that she didn't hate him and that the twins just needed time and would appreciate what he was doing for them, eventually...

"Do you hate me?" he asked, turning slightly to look at her.

Politely, Aqua shook her head.

"No?" he inquired and chuckled bitterly. "I kind of wish you did. It wouldn't make me feel as bad."

Silence.

"I have to marry her." Terra placed his hands on his hips and began pacing. "But I'm not doing it because I want to. If I married anyone, I would marry…" his voice trailed off and she looked away when she felt his eyes on her.

She knew what he was going to say but since he was practically engaged, he could not say it aloud anymore. They couldn't have that kind of relationship anymore. It was not appropriate. Their interactions had to be brief, friendly, and strictly platonic.

Terra approached her and gripped her chin, gently angling her head up and towards his, forcing her look at him. "If I had the choice…I would choose you."

Before she could object and look at him sternly for saying such things, he kissed her. She started to push him away because as good as his kiss felt, it also stung. It stung because she could no longer be his, not truly, nor could he be hers.

Her hands met his biceps so she could push him away but she couldn't do it. Her hands flattened against the muscles beneath the armor, her fingers curling on the metal so she could pull him closer. Finally, she closed her eyes and relented in spite of the lovely sting the kiss caused. Terra's hands found her hair and his thumbs stroked her neck, giving her chills.

When the kiss ended, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him. The embrace felt a lot like a goodbye or a denouement and it probably was.

He rested his cheek on her head and she pressed her ear to his heart. Aqua closed her eyes and squeezed his waist, feeling his heart pounding against her ear. Her heart pounded weakly in response as she pretended she could experience true human happiness and still obtain immortal heart like the one she heard thundering in Terra's chest.

* * *

Staring out at the water, she tried to remember what her home looked like. The mermaid stared out at the water until she thought she could distinguish her father's castle, and even her grandmother with her silver crown on her white head. She tried to will her eyes to see that far beneath the water's surface, deep, deep down, much too far for human eyes to see. It was an impossible feat to try to see what rested beneath the surface but that didn't stop her from trying or even finding comfort in the images her mind tricked her into thinking she saw.

Xion gazed at her mournfully but Aqua just smiled at her when their eyes met. She wanted to tell her that she was still happy and how well off she was; but she couldn't. It was impossible and it would also be a lie.

"I…I heard that…a Keyblade bearer will be marrying a princess from a nearby kingdom…" Xion began meekly.

Aqua peered down at Xion blankly before nodding.

"It's Terra, isn't it? He is the one that is going to marry the princess." Aqua could tell by the way Xion spoke that she already knew the answer so she didn't bother to nod.

After that, Xion didn't say anything else. They basked in each others company but no longer tried to communicate. It made her feel a lot better to simply have her old friend there but Aqua knew that Xion was probably trying to figure a way to fix this, to help her. However, Xion's silence suggested she was unable to find a solution or that she had come to one but not one she was willing to share with Aqua.

Eventually, they said their goodbyes as they always did and Aqua wanted to tell her to not do anything rash, to not do something like go to the seawitch but she couldn't. Aqua could only hope that Xion would remember the silent request she made the first night she came to visit her, that she would remember how she didn't want her going anywhere near the seawitch. No good would ever come from seeing her. Even in a situation as dire as hers, one was better off without the kind of _help_ she offered.

* * *

Her name was Leyla and it was told that she was to be brought to the castle. She would come so she and Terra could get acquainted with one another before they married.

Aqua dreaded her arrival although Terra had told her that he had no intention of loving Leyla. He said that could not love her and that his relationship with Leyla was only professional in his eyes. He tried to explain that what he felt for her would not change because of this arrangement. Although, he didn't explain what exactly it was that he felt for her. He cherished her, yes. She was dear to him, yes, but he did not love her… Even if he did, it obviously wasn't enough…

Terra said a lot of things in regard to Leyla but Aqua was very unsure if they would hold up once she arrived. He would probably grow to love her even if he had no intention of loving her. Love wasn't something that one could control. Love did not listen to _intention_. Love wouldn't care if he had no intention of loving her. Leyla would likely be kind and beautiful with features that would be easy to love. Leyla would be able to speak…

In spite of everything, sometimes, Aqua still hoped that she could maybe obtain Terra's love before their wedding and it would somehow be enough to save her and give her a heart… No, she couldn't have Terra as a husband but if she could just get the kind of love from him the witch described before he wedded Leyla…

It was a small chance, a faint glimmer of hope but it kept her from drowning in despair, it kept her going, and it kept her hope alive. However, it would be all but impossible once Leyla arrived. It would be hard getting that kind of love out of a man who had a soon to be fiancée clinging to him. It would be hard getting that kind of love when they rarely saw each other…

"You will help Leyla get situated here and you will also help her with whatever she needs. As long as she is here, you will act as her lady in waiting," Xehanort spat as he showed Aqua the room where Leyla would be residing.

Aqua had come to terms with the fact that Xehanort loved giving her unsavory and unpleasant tasks simply because she didn't have the tongue to talk back or to state that she didn't want to do them.

"Understand?"

Emotionlessly, Aqua nodded although she_ really_ wanted to insist that Tifa or Olette take care of Leyla.

"However,_ foundling_, you are in luck. You won't have to take care of Leyla until after the ball Ansem is throwing in her honor. The festivals that are being held for her beforehand will keep her busy and out of the palace for a while but once she sets foot on these grounds, you are not to leave her side unless you are instructed otherwise."

In other words, Leyla was something to keep her busy and to keep her and Terra from spending any time alone together.

"I also want this room to be spotless before she arrives so you should get started on that as soon as possible. Oh, and don't worry about the princesses. Tifa and Olette will manage just fine in your absence until Leyla departs." Xehanort began walking towards the door. "I will be back shortly to make sure the room is in order."

Once Xehanort was out of earshot, Aqua stuck her tongue out at him, causing the servants that had accompanied them into the room to chuckle into their hands or hide their snickers by looking away.

After venting some of her frustration, Aqua sighed and motioned for the servants to start cleaning the room.

As expected, the room was bigger than hers but the dominant color in this room was gold. The white carpet was rich and lush and Aqua had to resist the urge to slip off her shoes and delve her toes into it.

The bedspread was creamy with streaks and spirals of gold running through it and the walls were outlined in intricate golden designs. It was a room fit for a princess. The only rooms that were bigger were those of the King and the princesses.

Oddly enough, this room reminded Aqua of her room back home. It was a bit smaller and didn't have any fish swimming through it but both rooms had more space than was necessary, more space than anyone would know what to do with and windows that were twice the size of normal doors and a bathroom that was three times the size of servant's quarters.

Absentmindedly, Aqua roamed through the room and did a mental inventory of everything it had and everything it lacked. It was full of unnecessary extravagance. It had many mirrors, colorful yet dusty paintings, a small golden music box that played a whimsical tune, and a closet full of dresses but there were no shoes.

Aqua noted that Leyla would need shoes and jewelry placed in the room as well. She also noted that she should put some fresh flowers in the room since the current flowers were old, brown, and wilted.

She took the old flowers out of the tawny vase and threw them into a nearby waste can. While doing so she noticed that there was a bookshelf in this room as well. She glanced at the titles and noticed there weren't any of her favorites inside. She didn't know if Leyla even liked to read, but she would be kind and bring some of her favorite books for her regardless although she had no idea why she would do such a thing for the woman that was taking the man she loved away.

* * *

When Leyla arrived, the town held festivals for her and the King was to hold a ball for her in the palace. The first few days with her were nothing but an endless string of entertainments. However, Aqua had not seen her yet. She heard gossip about her but she hadn't seen her up close nor had she been formally introduced to her.

Ventus had begged her to go to the festival with him but she had continually refused. She could tell he wanted to spend time with her and Terra again and that he wanted to mend their relationship by convincing her to go to this festival but she just couldn't go. As much as she wanted things to return to the way they were and as much as she wanted to go and solve the mystery of what the humans called a festival, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She loved Ven and she seeing things that belonged to the human world, but what the festival represented and whom it was for was just too much. Instead of going with everyone else, she stayed in the palace library with her books.

Aqua knew that after the ball, she would be seeing plenty of Leyla and because of that, she wanted to avoid the interaction as long as possible. However, as much as she hated to admit it, the avoidance was about to end. The ball being held in the palace was that night and she would attend. There was no getting around it.

The room was silent while the twins continued to get ready. Aqua was already dressed in her pale blue dress with a little rouge on her cheeks and sparkling heels on her tender feet. She was prepared but she was anxious, very anxious. Her nerves coiled and she fidgeted while sitting on Kairi's bed.

The mermaid was nervous to see if Leyla was as beautiful as everyone said. The shallow, cruel part of herself wanted Leyla to be ugly and cruel. A part of her didn't want anyone to like her but she had yet to hear anyone speak unkindly of her.

"She is nice," Naminé admitted shyly. "I didn't really want to like her but she is nice."

"She isn't as nice as Aqua," Kairi argued, causing Aqua to smile. "Or as pretty."

"No but at least she isn't a female Vanitas," Naminé countered and Kairi cringed.

"Good point. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Especially since Aqua will have to take care of her while she stays here. That should make your life a little easier," Kairi said with a smile and Aqua smiled back. It was a forced smile but a smile nonetheless.

Aqua knew that the twins were trying to make her feel better but it wasn't really working since she couldn't decide what she wanted this girl to be like. She did know that she didn't want to like her but she also knew that she wanted Terra to be happy and she wanted him to have a good wife even if it wasn't her. However, that didn't keep her from wanting Leyla to be unlovable. But in the end, she supposed it didn't really matter. Regardless of what she looked like or acted like, Aqua would still have to accept that Leyla would be Terra's wife.

* * *

The ballroom was buzzing and the sounds were deafening. It was massive and full of blinding chandeliers, shiny floors, gushing fountains, and huge marble columns covered in spiraling foliage. Tables covered in silky, sheer tablecloths and insurmountable amounts of food were scattered throughout the enormous space and three thrones where Ansem, Namine, and Kairi would sit were placed at the front of the room atop a flight of marble stairs.

Drinks were flowing and people were talking, eating, dancing and celebrating. It was a lot like being at a ball back home. There were distinct differences between the two worlds but she still found similarities in the way they communicated and danced.

Aqua stayed close to Ventus and when she danced, he was the one she danced with. Dancing, like many other things, was unpleasant but that didn't keep her from doing so and doing so well. It was just as the witch said it would be. She could dance better than most humans. She put human dancers to shame. Her grace and movements were otherworldly, she moved in a way that was unknown to humans but she could only do so for so long. Eventually, the agony in her feet would become too much or she would become short of breath and she would have to sit down but Ven, Tifa, Olette, or Aeirith were always kind enough to sit with her.

The ball wasn't all bad. Aqua was able to find enjoyment with the others she had come to know in the palace. She was able to laugh with them and smile and forget about the weight on her shoulders for a while. She was able to enjoy being human and living in that magical world. That was, until she finally saw _her _and realized what they said about her was true.

Leyla glided through the room regally, almost angelically and was greeted by hoard after hoard of people and she smiled warmly at each of them. Everyone wanted to meet her and catch a glimpse of the girl who would marry Terra, the princess from Twilight Town, the girl whose beauty was well known.

It was true. She was beautiful, clad in a dress that mimicked the white of fresh snow. Aqua had never seen a more perfect vision of human beauty. Her skin was delicately fair, and beneath her long dark eyelashes her laughing blue eyes shone with truth and purity. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white. It shone like diluted gold and it rolled down her back in waves all the way to her subtle, graceful hips. Instinctively, Aqua's hands went to her own stubby locks that seemed to pale in comparison.

As Aqua looked her over, she slowly began to recognize this girl. She was…familiar somehow but she couldn't place how. She wasn't close enough to her to get a good look at her. Did she know her or did she just favor someone she knew?

Leyla was latched to Terra's side, her arm looped through his as he escorted her through the ballroom and he looked…_happy_.

Leyla looked up at him with a large, bright smile on her face and whispered something in his ear that caused both of them to chuckle. Terra's eyes brightened as he peered down at her and smiled.

When Aqua saw his smile, she instantly knew who this girl was. It was…_her. _It was the girl who found him on the shore, the girl he smiled at when he regained consciousness on the beach. She was the girl who Aqua had given Terra to before. Leyla was the girl Terra thought saved his life.

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading!**_

_**It has been a long time guys but I am back and I would like to welcome you to the angst-filled, bitter portion of this story! And hooray for cliffy chapter endings and plot twists! Congratulations to anyone who hasn't read the story and figured out that the princess aka Leyla is also the girl from the first chapter who helped Terra after Aqua was forced to leave him on the shore! Kudos. **_

_**So this is where things get darker but I will not be getting Hans Christian Anderson dark! (I'll save that kind of angst for my M stories :P) So rest easy, my faithful readers! **_

_**Also, I had a question from one of my awesome reviewers. They asked about Sora and Riku and if they will be making an appearance in this story. I don't want to spoil anything but I can say that more characters will be showing up as this story progresses! I won't/can't include everyone (the story I'm basing this story on doesn't have that kind of depth) but there will definitely be more appearances. **_

**_Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

With the realization that Leyla was the girl Terra thought saved his life, Aqua instantly felt weak and a bit nauseous. Her heart faltered and her chest ached. Her breathing turned shallow and she started taking short, hastened breaths. She placed a hand over her heart and tried to steady herself but failed.

The princess was the girl from the islands who nursed Terra back to health after Aqua left him on the shore. She was the girl who held him in her arms until he fully regained consciousness and smiled warmly at her. Leyla was the girl who received credit for saving Terra's life. She must have been visiting the islands for educational or recreational reasons, which would explain why she was there and not home in Twilight Town...

At that excruciating moment, Aqua realized she didn't have a chance at obtaining Terra's love now. Before she thought that even if she couldn't have him as a husband, she could somehow obtain enough of his heart so she could receive one of her own but that was all but impossible now. Leyla's shadow had grown too large. She wasn't just his fiancée now; he _knew_ her. Not only that, he knew her as the girl he owed his life to. Whatever had been between Aqua and Terra would be all but forgotten now, outshone by the affection he would find for the girl he thought saved his life.

"Aqua?" Aerith's voice chimed and Aqua felt a gentle hand on her back. "Aqua, are you all right?

No. She wasn't all right. She couldn't breathe. It felt as though the breath had been knocked out of her. Finally, her footing faltered and she collapsed against the nearest wall.

"Aqua!" Aerith cried and reached for her, but the mermaid adamantly held her hand up to silently say she didn't need help.

"Come on," Aerith gently peeled her off the wall to keep her from crumpling to the floor. "Let's go sit down and get you something to drink."

"I'll go get her some water," Ven said as he rushed off.

The blue girl let Aerith walk her to the nearest table. She was wheezing and gasping for air that refused to enter her lungs. Her body was rejecting it and she ironically felt like a fish out of water. Her heart palpitated irregularly as it struggled to function. Placing a hand over her heart, she tried her best to will it to stop.

"_What happened? What's wrong with her?" _

Opening her eyes, she saw Terra rushing through the crowd towards her. Once he reached her, he knelt down at her feet, grabbed her hands and watched her intently with worried eyes.

"I-I don't know she was fine a moment ago then she just started hyperventilating. She is having one of her episodes…" Aerith replied nervously.

"Here's some water." Ven placed the glistening glass water on the table next to her where it proceeded to sweat onto the chalky table cloth.

Aqua really wished they would stop fussing over her… She was _so_ tired of everyone fussing over her.

"Aqua," the bronze Keyblade bearer whispered and held her face in his hands so she would look at him, but her eyes remained a bit unfocused and hazy. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Should we take you to the infirmary?"

She couldn't tell him the truth; that she wasn't all right, that his relationship with Leyla was literally killing her, that his wedding morning would bring death to her. She couldn't tell him, so she smiled and brushed his some of his hair off his face, caressing his cheek in gentle assurance.

Her caress told him that she was fine, and his presence calmed her heart. Feeling his warm skin beneath her palm had a magical healing effect on her. Suddenly, she could breathe again.

Terra eyed her skeptically and firmly took her hands in his. "Are you sure?"

Aqua was about to reply when she saw Leyla regally approaching them. Seeing his fiancee caused her to snatch her hands away from him. Her eyes then rapidly turned to the princess and she smiled at her.

Puzzled by Aqua's distraction, Terra glanced over his shoulder to see Leyla beaming back at the blue girl.

"Oh," Terra suddenly yet clumsily remembered himself, rising to his feet and straightening his tuxedo jacket. "Leyla, this is Aqua. Aqua, this is Leyla."

"It is nice to meet you." Leyla curtsied, her white dress flowing around behind her like angel wings.

Bowing her head, the mermaid grinned at her.

The princess waited a moment, clearly waiting for more of a response. She looked at Aqua politely yet expectantly, but her eyes shimmered with confusion.

"Aqua can't speak," Ven explained. "We aren't sure how, but she lost her ability to talk…at some point."

"Oh… I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

Aqua waved a hand dismissively so the princess wouldn't worry herself with her accidental rudeness.

"She can't talk but Aqua has her own unique language that is actually quite easy to understand once you get use to it," Aerith said light-heartedly.

"Of course. I'm sure I will get the hang of it after we spend some time together."

Aqua nodded respectfully, knowing for a fact that they were going to be spending_ a lot _of time together thanks to Xehanort…

* * *

No one allowed her to dance or do much of anything after her little..._episode_. Aqua was frustrated with this. More than anything, she was frustrated at herself for becoming some kind of frail soul when in reality she was the furthest thing from it. However, her mortal body would suggest otherwise. Everything was just off balance and her body couldn't soar the way she longed for it to. Her spirit and will were much stronger than her body and, apparently, Terra was the only one who knew this.

"They aren't letting you up anymore, huh?"

Aqua huffed and blew her bangs out of her face before shaking her head.

Terra chuckled and took a seat next to her. "Do you want something to eat?"

A curt shake of her head was the answer.

Looking around, Terra scanned the area for another way to amuse her. Eventually, his eyes followed hers and settled on the surging crowd of people being strung along by a melody in the center of the oversized ballroom.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, rising to his feet and extending a hand towards her.

Had the longing looks she had been giving the dance floor that obvious? At the same time, she shouldn't be surprised that he noticed. He had a keen sense of knowing what she wanted and he could read her eyes in ways no one else could.

After staring at him wide-eyed for a moment, Aqua nodded feverishly.

Terra grinned. "Come on. Let's sneak you out there before anyone can stop us."

With that, he lifted her back to her feet and helped her slip their way into the crowd. Aqua squeezed his warm hand in silent appreciation, causing a smile to tug at his lips as he glanced back at her.

"You're welcome."

Once Terra was sure they were far enough within the swell of people, he slipped into a waltz position, one Aqua conformed to instantly.

It wasn't a traditional waltz. It was something they manipulated to their liking, a dance where he held one of her hands in his and rested the other on the small of her back while she rested her head beneath his strong chin.

As they began slowly moving with the music, she held onto him for dear life. She held him as if it would be the last time she would ever be able to because it very well could be.

Overcome by his presence, his smell, and his warmth, she slipped her hand out of his so she could wrap her arms around him and bury her face further in his chest. She simply couldn't get close enough to him.

He held her back. His arms wound around her and her hand gravitated to the back of his neck, slender ivory fingers tracing circles on the flesh that rested there, occasionally venturing into the soft, brown hair that traveled down the back of his neck.

It suddenly seemed cruel and very careless as she realized how intimate this dance had unknowingly become. The world was still out there and her eyes were taking it all in again. Everyone was staring at her holding onto the man who was to marry their special guest, the guest this ball was being held for. Regaining her senses, she pushed Terra away and shook her head.

When she agreed to dance with him, she didn't think that it would turn out like this. Had she known, she would have never ventured onto the dance floor with him. How callous of her to act this way…

Perhaps Xehanort was onto something. Perhaps they shouldn't be able to interact with each other. They obviously couldn't control themselves, their feelings, or their emotions around one another. Perhaps the only way they could be respectful and act appropriately was to not be around each other at all, just as Xehanort demanded. Perhaps they were incapable of being strictly friends now. Perhaps it was already time for her to let go...

"Aqua…" Terra objected and tried to hold onto her.

It was just like when she left him on the beach... He was holding onto her and asking her to stay, but just like before, she couldn't stay with him this time either... Just like before, Leyla would come to replace her. Only this time when he asked her to stay, it was much worse. He was coherent this time and they actually had a relationship now. He was _knowingly_ asking her to stay, to not leave him... His actions and words weren't the ravings and delusions of a man who'd had a brush with death. He was very alert and very sober and he looked even more hurt than he had the first time. Pain filled his eyes to the brim and hurt flashed over his features as he desperately tried to read her eyes and her expression.

Aqua tugged her hand away and looked at him sternly. Her mind was made up, but her heart fiercely objected. It didn't want her to let him go but she had to. It hurt to hold on to something that could never be as much as it hurt to let go…

Unable to take Terra's pleading eyes, his wounded features, and the conflicting feelings anymore, Aqua stormed out of the ballroom and into the nearest vacant corridor. Her breath caught in her throat and something sharp prickled at her eyes. Her faint heartbeat was thundering in her ears and jagged nails were in the heels she wore, but she still ran until she couldn't run anymore.

Once her stinging feet could no longer support her weight, she tumbled onto the ground with a silent cry. Folding her arms over her raised knees, she curled into a corner and tried to regain her ability to breathe.

For a long time, she hid there and sniveled quietly. She didn't actually cry but she came very close, especially for a mermaid, a being who had never cried due to being perpetually surrounded by water. She just wanted a moment alone to get herself and her thoughts together. She needed to be alone, to cope, to come to terms, to steel herself.

"Aqua?" a dainty voice cried over the sound of heels clinking on the slick, marble floor.

The voice was smooth and gently caressed her eardrums as if it were made of silk. It was a lovely voice, its echo softly bouncing around in her head like the flutter of butterfly wings.

Aqua's head bobbed up to address the owner of the velvety voice to see it was Leyla in all her glory.

Had she come to scold her? Had Leyla come to put her in her place for showing public affection to her fiancée? Aqua was nervous, but she smiled at the princess regardless.

"Are you okay?" Leyla elegantly knelt down beside her.

Aqua nodded and patted her knee in assurance.

"Terra is worried about you," Leyla stated and Aqua began removing her painful heels. "Actually, everyone was when you stormed out, but he seemed exceptionally concerned. I think he was worried he said something wrong when you two were dancing. Did he do something to upset you?"

Aqua shook her head and began massaging the stinging soles of her feet.

"Do your feet hurt? Mine are killing me!" Leyla took an uncharacteristically clumsy seat next to Aqua and removed her shoes as well. "I've had to wear heels since I was big enough to walk but they are still very uncomfortable."

Aqua giggled silently into her hand and bobbed her head in agreement. Although Aqua hadn't ever had an issue with heels specifically and didn't know what they felt like without feet that hurt whether she wore them or not, she did know what it felt like to be adorned in painful objects for the sake of beauty and regal pride.

"The twins told me you aren't from here? That you got washed up onto the palace steps? Honestly, when I fist saw you, I thought you were a princess…or maybe a duchess from some exotic island. I never would have guessed you were… Well, I mean no disrespect; you just don't hold yourself like a commoner. You are just so poised and graceful!"

Aqua shrugged.

She shouldn't like Leyla but she did. She really shouldn't like the woman who was unintentionally killing, her but she did. Leyla was warm and kind and if Aqua had to give Terra to another woman, she was glad it was Leyla. He needed someone like Leyla. She wanted someone who could make him happy once she was gone and she knew Leyla could do that. After all, Aqua had given Terra to Leyla once before…and she was pretty sure she could do it again…

"Princess Leyla?" a gruff, guttural voice croaked and Aqua cringed.

"What is it?" the blonde princess asked when she noticed the mermaid's demeanor change drastically.

Aqua held a finger over her mouth to encourage her to keep her voice away from the unpleasantness closing in on them.

"There you are, Your Majesty!" Xehanort cried as he approached the two women. "Everyone is looking for you!" His cruel eyes locked on Aqua. "What are you doing out here with the foundling?"

"Oh! Aqua just seemed upset and everyone was worried so I came to check on her…"

Xehanort snorted. "Don't worry about the foundling. There is nothing wrong with her. She does this kind of thing all the time for attention. It is all an act. Come, your guests are expecting you."

Reluctantly, Leyla did as she was told, but only after she glanced back at Aqua who assured her that it was okay and that she should return to her guests with a single look.

"I shall join you in a moment, Your Majesty," Xehanort sneered and gallantly handed Leyla her silver heels.

Grabbing her own discarded shoes, Aqua rose to her feet and waited for the scolding she would surely receive from the foul advisor.

"I see what you are doing."

The blue girl merely gave the advisor a black, indifferent look.

"I saw that little display on the dance floor," Xehanort hissed and coarsely gripped Aqua's arm as she tried to ignore him completely and walk away from him before she had to hear any more. "Terra and Leyla are going to get married and I won't have you ruining that by stirring up old flames and feelings that make no difference now."

Wincing, she tried to yank her arm away from his painful grip. He was clawing at her skin and bruising her arm…

"Terra belongs to Leyla and nothing you say or do can change that, _little_ foundling," Xehanort chided and Aqua glared at him. "So keep your manipulative claws out of Terra."

The advisor released her arm and stormed away in a puff of indignation, but Aqua would listen to him. He was right. Terra belonged to Leyla now and nothing would change that. So, she would bow out gracefully. For once, she agreed with Xehanort. She needed to stay away from Terra.

* * *

The morning after the ball, Aqua went to wake Leyla and help her servants prepare her for her day. She didn't want to, but after her latest encounter with Xehanort, she knew she really and truly had no choice in the matter.

Since she would likely be doing chores and other unpleasantries for Leyla all day, Aqua chose to wear a casual dress. It was simple and white with ruffles around the plunging collar and elbow length cuffs. It was fitted but not uncomfortable and it lacked all the messy under dressings that the fancier garments required.

Leyla, however, was placed in a yellow dress that looked painfully uncomfortable. She was forced into a corset and a hoop skirt. Jewelry was put in her small ears, on her milky wrists, and on her slender fingers and pearls wound around her dainty neck. Her pale hair was tugged at and Aqua admired her ability to not wince or swat the servants' hands away. Aqua loathed having people tease and brush her hair, so much so she always kept her hair short so there was less for them to tug on. Gran had not been pleased with Aqua's unusual nature and defying their entire culture by hacking her hair to her chin, but gradually grew to accept it because it became a part of whom she was. Over time it was even a trademark. People knew her for her short, blue hair.

Finally, a bright yellow sunhat with flowers on its apex was placed upon the princess's head. After she was fully dressed, the thick, unnatural smell of primroses and heather slowly began to corrupt the air in the room.

Leyla wore lots of perfume. Aqua didn't care for the smell. It was much too strong. Aqua preferred more subtle smells. Perhaps it was because she wasn't truly attuned to smells yet. Even after all this time, she was still adjusting to some things in the human world and smells were certainly some of those things. It was quite an adjustment to having no sense of smell to being almost constantly assaulted by all kinds of aromas at once.

Temporarily, she wondered if Terra liked the perfume Leyla wore. Did he like the smell of it when he was close to her, when her whitish blonde hair danced under his nose? Would he like it when he held her flush against him and ran his lips along hers?

Shaking her head, Aqua forced the thoughts away and tried to focus on her book instead. While Leyla was placed into ornate wear, Aqua sat on her bed nearby and silently read a book, politely detached from her surroundings.

Every now and then, Aqua could feel Leyla's blue eyes on her. Sometimes she would look up to meet her gaze but most of the time she tried to focus on other things. It was easier that way.

"So what are we doing today?"

The mermaid's bright eyes left the book and she playfully placed a finger over her lips.

"Secret?" Leyla giggled, amused.

Casting her gaze back to her book, Aqua nodded.

* * *

Leyla's day truly began with breakfast in the foyer with Ansem the Wise. Many of those who had attended the ball had stayed overnight so they could continue the parade of festivities and celebrations, and continue to bestow praises, congratulations, and presents on the princess and even her fiancée. It was becoming abundantly clear that this would continue until the wedding was over.

The way they treated Leyla reminded Aqua a great deal of how she was treated back home… She actually began feeling bad for the princess. Not only did she like this girl, she sympathized and related to her. It only made her strange situation even stranger…

All day, because she was her temporary lady in waiting, Aqua was forced to listen to people continually congratulate Leyla of her betrothal to the man she loved. She saw the gifts they gave her and even helped put them away so they could be taken back to Twilight Town with her once she and Terra were married.

As much as she hated it, Aqua did all of these things for Leyla and she did so with grace. She wouldn't let this turn her bitter or cruel. Bitter and cruel was no way to spend her last days on earth.

After Leyla had effectively been drug to almost every corner of the Land of Departure with every duke, duchess, noble, aristocrat, and patrician, Aqua managed to get the princess a moment of relief, some privacy.

Because she related to her, she knew how tired and miserable the girl must have been to a fault. Leyla never let on or said a word about it but Aqua knew. She knew this girl would appreciate some peace and quiet, a moment where she didn't have to force a smile, courtesy, and be polite to people she didn't know. Thus, Aqua had decided to take Leyla to the summit where she could relax and do something other than be a princess—at least for a little while.

With Leyla on her heels, Aqua had retrieved to the twins, Ven, Terra, and the other ladies of waiting and hauled all of them to the field by the Summit. If nothing else, Leyla would at least appreciate some extra time with the man she was about to marry. Surely she would appreciate getting to know him better so he wouldn't be a complete stranger. Perhaps Aqua was also hoping this would work vice versa. Perhaps she wanted Terra to get to know Leyla better just in case he couldn't grow to love her. No, she didn't want him to marry Leyla but he didn't want him in a miserable, loveless marriage either. Although she was quite sure Leyla would do a magnificent job of replacing her and wiping all traces of her from Terra's memory.

Although Aqua insisted they bring Terra and had personally brought him to Leyla herself, being around him was still unpleasant. She'd been forced to interact with him frequently as a result of being attached to Leyla, but each time she saw him she would acknowledge him or greet him then give them their privacy. She ignored him as politely as she could. Her eyes eluded his and she would avoid being in the same room with him if at all possible.

At last, once everyone settled in, Aqua was able to find some shred of peace and serenity on the quiet summit.

If there was anything Aqua missed about her home outside of her friends and family, it was the natural tranquility that could easily be found almost anywhere. This world buzzed much more than the world below did. It was much more fast-paced, hard, and noisy, but that was what she loved about it.

Terra and Leyla were seated next to each other nearby but the presence of everyone else made their attendance bearable and Aqua was still quite content to just be immersed in the quiet, lush, green world that slept beyond the palace.

In addition to Leyla, there were two new individuals amongst them who had journeyed to the summit with them as well. Leyla had two royal guards who accompanied her everywhere. They were Yen Sid's apprentices and they were Keyblade bearers just like Ven, Terra, and Vanitas. Their names were Riku and Sora.

Sora reminded her so much of Ven it almost always made her chuckle. His eyes were a jolly blue and his hair was short, spiky, and chocolate brown, not unlike Terra's. He was very young, not much older than the twins, but apparently very skilled, skilled enough that he was sent to help guard the princesses in foreign land.

Riku was older with long yet unique silver hair and icy blue eyes that sometimes mimicked the green of the sea. He reminded her a bit of Terra, stoic yet sincere. Aqua would even venture to call him cool and collected. Even though he seemed a bit guarded, Aqua could tell there was a genuine kindness beneath his occasional rudeness and caution.

"So you can't talk…_at all_?"

Currently, Sora had his fingers in her mouth. He was inspecting her damaged vocal chords and lamented tongue while she held her mouth open for him. He looked genuinely confused by he fact that she indeed had a tongue in her mouth. He apparently expected to see nothing but pearly teeth and gums.

"Sora!" Leyla chastised softly.

"What?" Sora inquired, clearly seeing nothing wrong with his behavior as he pulled his hand away from her mouth.

Aqua giggled and shook her head. She didn't mind. In fact, she appreciated his forwardness. Even if she did mind, Sora had one of those magical personalities that caused anyone he encountered to accept almost anything he did or wanted to do. Like Ven, his spirit was a gem in a harsh world that was often filled with darkness and unkind people.

"What happened?" Sora asked sincerely, blue eyes swimming with genuine curiosity.

Aqua gave the young man a blank look, suggesting she couldn't explain.

"Have you ever been able to talk?"

A nod was the answer.

"We think that maybe it's the result of trauma," Aerith explained politely as she inspected a nearby bed of vibrant flowers, "or perhaps selective mutism."

"Do you miss talking?" Sora placed his hands on his knees and leaned toward her.

"Sora," Riku chided this time, sounding exasperated.

Again, Aqua waved her hand dismissively to show she didn't mind then proceeded to shrug in response to Sora's question.

"Kinda use to it, huh? I couldn't imagine not talking."

"_I _couldn't imagine you not talking," said Riku, looking smug.

Sora glared at his friend, summoned his Keyblade, and they quickly began a playful spar. It was something she was learning was a frequent occurrence, commonplace. Leyla didn't even bat an eye at the behavior and in the short time Aqua had known them, she had already seen three or four of these spars. They even kept score! Further, Kairi had started _helping_ them keep score! Everything was a competition when it came to Sora and Riku.

The fight was innocent enough at first but it gradually grew more intense and they finally began trying to best one another.

Aqua watched intently as their Keyblades arced and cruelly crashed into one other, leaving bright, orange sparks in their wake. Her senses were suddenly heightened as if she were sensing something. She had enviously watched Terra and Ven spar thousands of times before, but there was something off about this match. Something about it suddenly had her on edge.

Before anyone could blink, Sora had masterfully knocked Riku's Keyblade from his hand with the firm metal his own. Sora beamed with triumph temporarily before his eyes widened in terror.

"Look out!" he cried and lunged forward.

Riku's Keyblade was hurled through the air and was flying right at Kairi. Aqua could see it. It would hit her. She just knew it.

When Kairi flinched and covered her head to protect herself, something inside Aqua flared. Before she even had time to think, she had rushed toward her. She reached for Kairi and tried to get between the princess and the Keyblade that was ruthlessly hurled toward her, but she would never get to her in time.

Frantic, she outstretched her hand for her and if she had the ability to cry out to her, she would have. A sparkling light burst from her palm. It morphed into an orb and traveled to Kairi's form with blinding speed. Once it reached the redhead, it encased her in a firm sphere of lavender the instant before Riku's Keyblade made contact with her form. The weapon collided with the rounded barrier and harmlessly fell off the obstacle and onto the lush ground with a gentle thud.

"Oh, my gosh! Kairi! Are you okay?" Sora rushed to Kairi's side, skidding on his knees to a clumsy halt. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea…! I didn't mean to- I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Sora. I'm okay," Kairi replied with a smile as she straightened her posture.

"Are you sure?" Riku inquired as he eyed her carefully.

"I'm positive."

"I'm really sorry. We shouldn't have been sparring so close to everyone." Riku bent down and lifted his Keyblade off the ground. "Thank goodness Aqua was able to cast such a powerful Barrier spell."

Stunned, Aqua looked down at her hands.

"Aqua! You can use magic!" Naminé exclaimed, excitement written all over hear soft features.

_I can? _

"I had no idea," Tifa mused in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell us you could cast magic?"

Aqua shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't think that she knew that she could," Terra said as he stepped forward and looked at Aqua's hands.

"How wonderful! With some training, she could become a mage for Ansem the Wise. Father has lots of mages back home to help our Keyblade bearers with the kingdom and foreign affairs. Perhaps Aqua could do that for all of you here," Leyla stated politely as she straightened her yellow hat atop her head so it would keep the sun out of her bright eyes.

"Would you like that, Aqua?" Naminé asked, looking at the blue girl expectantly. "Perhaps that would be a better fit for you than simply being a lady in waiting."

Aqua didn't know how to respond. She was still very confused. She had no clue as to what any of this meant. In her realm, magic had been abused and most of them refrained from using it. Later generations, herself included, never even thought to try. It became taboo and the only being she knew of who still practiced the dark art was the witch who took her tongue…but that seemed to be a completely different form of magic. Oh, how she wished she could talk to her grandmother.

"What else can you cast?" Sora asked eagerly and Aqua looked at him with wide, overwhelmed eyes.

"Sora," Leyla chastised gently. "She just learned she had the ability to conjure. I doubt she really understands what she _did _cast. I know I wouldn't if I were in her position."

Leyla was right but Aqua was briefly intrigued and almost excited before she remembered her fate. For a moment, her mind ran rampant with possibilities. She began wondering of what else she was capable of and how much she could learn and how she could use her abilities to perhaps help the twins, the King, and their kingdom. Then, she remembered that she would never know. She would die before she ever got the chance to explore any of this…

* * *

Rain was one of the many things within the human realm that still astounded Aqua. How bizarre it was, water falling from the sky. Sometimes it was warm and sometimes it was cool.

At present, the rain was warm. It fell from the gloomy sky in strange sheets that blanketed the entire castle.

The first time Aqua saw rain, she'd been with Terra. They had been reading in her room and the sound of what Terra had called 'thunder' had frightened her and she had flinched at the sound. It rumbled like a monster's belly and it sometimes grew so loud that the earth shook beneath her tender feet. Oddly enough, she'd learned that thunder was incapable of harming people. Storms and 'hurricanes' could be dangerous but the sound itself wasn't necessarily an indication of danger. In fact, she had grown to enjoy the sound. It was calming in an unorthodox way. It felt like a kind harbinger to her. Sometimes, it even coaxed her into taking nap on Terra's shoulder. The thunder was making her sleepy now but she lacked a shoulder to nap on.

The sea that fell from the sky wasn't salty. It was sleek and soft, much like the water human's drank and bathed in. It wasn't thick although it did weigh down her clothes and her hair if she walked in it. It also held a different smell. It was…cleaner.

While waiting for the seamstress to arrive, Aqua had perched herself on the large windowsill of Leyla's room and opened the window so she could feel the rain. Her mind far away, she watched the raindrops latch to her skin like jiggling bubbles. Some attached to her while others teamed down her flesh like they often teamed down the windows of the palace.

Naminé referred to the strange condition as the sky's tears. Each time it rained, Naminé would say that the sky was crying. If that were true, Aqua wondered what it's current sorrow stemmed from. What had saddened the heavens to the point of tears?

As an entity that had never cried as a result of living in water for the majority of her life, it was hard for her to imagine something so painful or sad that it would cause water, rain, or 'tears' to spill from her eyes. However, the days she spent with Leyla as she prepared for her wedding made her wonder if she would indeed cry for it was agony running around with Leyla and participating in the whole wedding process with her. Perhaps the sky cried for her since she lacked the ability to herself…

When Terra learned of what Aqua was being required to do, he had offered to explain the situation to Leyla. He offered to tell her everything in order to spare Aqua even more pain, to keep her from enduring this particular torment, but Aqua didn't want that burden on the young woman. Ignorance was bliss. Besides, Xehanort was to blame, not her. She was just doing as instructed, they all were. It was what life had been reduced to.

Aqua had sat silently next to Leyla while she picked out her flowers and the decorations she wanted for her wedding. Sometimes she would offer her opinion when the princess asked for it, but most of the time she pretended to be somewhere else or she would pretend these things would somehow magically go to her own wedding instead. The mermaid did what she had to in order to get through it and today would be no different.

Today, Leyla was to pick out her wedding dress but the tailor and the seamstress were yet to arrive, which was why Aqua was sitting in the window playing with the rain.

After she discovered she had magic in her bones, Kairi, Ven, and Naminé insisted she practice. Ven had taught her a few of the basics so she practiced occasionally. At present, she was trying to freeze the rain that latched onto her skin and thaw it again once she had succeeded at freezing it. She was attempting to master what Ven had called Fire and Blizzard although she didn't really know why. Nothing would come of it but she supposed it was something to do to pass the time or perhaps she kept forgetting her days were numbered…

Aqua couldn't believe it was already time for Leyla to pick out her wedding gown. Which meant, soon they would be altering the dress for the big day. The whole wedding process was going by quickly but at the same time, every day with Leyla and all the wedding talk and flowers and table clothes and food and cuisines seemed to drag on forever. Sometimes Aqua swore that time had either frozen or chose to march in place to mock her.

Aqua missed her friends. She missed the normal, carefree days that were gone, and she missed having a future. She didn't dislike Leyla, quite the opposite but being with her was like a disease. Little by little Aqua could feel herself fading. Slowly, she was dying on the inside. Perhaps that was what would ultimately kill her physically. Her body would eventually catch up.

Eventually, the seamstress arrived with more dresses than Aqua could count. Servants brought them in by the droves and Aqua hadn't seen such extravagance in a long time.

Some of the dresses were white, some off white, and some were creamy and others milky but Aqua had to help slip Leyla into the majority of them. By the time it was all over, she wasn't sure who was more miserable, Leyla or her.

The princess tried on dress after dress and they were still trying them on when a knock fell upon the door.

Without instruction, Aqua tossed the dress in her arms aside and journeyed across the room to the door. When she opened it, her face brightened significantly as she was greeted by the twins, Tifa, and Olette.

"Aqua!" Naminé cried as Aqua embraced her and Kairi.

"We've missed you." Kairi squeezed Aqua's neck so tightly it almost hurt but Aqua couldn't bring herself to care.

_I missed you! You'll never know how much! _

"They insisted we come visit," Tifa said as she too entered the massive room. "They said they wanted to come see you and see which dress Leyla picked out for her wedding."

Pulling away from the twins, Aqua sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and gave Leyla and the dresses an exasperated look.

"Oh, she hasn't decided on a dress yet?" Tifa glanced over Aqua's shoulder at all the dresses and how Leyla was still digging through them.

Aqua shook her head.

"Yikes," Olette whispered, causing Kairi and Naminé to giggle.

Aqua didn't care. She could take ages and she wouldn't mind as long as she finally had some company other than the nameless servants and Leyla!

* * *

Ultimately, Leyla chose a long sleeve dress that was white as piano ivories. It dangled off her silky shoulders and was made of sheer fabric that was covered in patterns that mimicked magnificent floral arrangements. There was a tight band at the waist to accentuate her lovely figure and a train that seemed to go on forever. Finally, there was the veil. One could see right through it except for the patches of floral designs that were similar to the patterns on the dress itself. The veil wouldn't go over her face but instead it would rest on the back of her head and mingle with the train that would follow her down the isle.

Of all the days Aqua had spent with Leyla recently, the day she was forced to help Leyla prepare for her final dress fitting was the worst. It made it painfully clear how...real everything was, how real it was _going _to be. Leyla _would _marry Terra in a few days, which meant she would die soon. This would kill her, but she was already feeling dead on the inside.

The seamstress (Aqua didn't know her name) was late again, leaving Aqua alone prepare Leyla for her fitting.

The mermaid placed her hands on Leyla's waist, silently instructing her to suck in more so she could help her tighten her corset. She took firm hold of the strings and began lacing the corset tighter to make Leyla's already small waist smaller. Leyla grunted and gripped the mahogany banister tightly as Aqua tugged at the corset and forced the maiden's figure into perfection.

Once finished, Aqua forged a smile and patted Leyla's hips.

"Thank you," Leyla breathed and tried to support her crimpled diaphragm with her dainty hands.

Aqua nodded and walked across the room and picked up the massive dress of sheer fabric, silk, and satin. Leyla held her arms over her head and Aqua helped shimmy the fitted garment over her pale, blonde head and down her frame.

As if sensing they were ready for her, the seamstress finally entered the room, but Aqua continued to straighten out the garment's wrinkles until the attire was nice and neat.

It needed to be hemmed again.

Sighing heavily, Aqua blew her bangs out of her face and rose to her feet so she could face the seamstress. Once she was close enough, Aqua pointed to the lengthy garment and how it cumbersomely gathered around the princess's feet.

Leyla giggled. "Hemming again?"

Aqua nodded in annoyance and the princess chuckled. Leyla liked her and Aqua liked her too even though all logic and reasoning screamed that she shouldn't.

"I'm sorry. They just made this thing too long!" Leyla playfully complained and tried to help Aqua and the seamstress straighten the extravagant garment further.

"It's no problem, Your Grace," the plump seamstress replied. "This kind of thing happens all the time."

The mermaid knelt at Leyla's feet to help the seamstress and glanced at the maiden in the mirror. She looked lovely, as beautiful as any princess should be on her wedding day and it wasn't even truly her wedding day yet. When her wedding day did come, Aqua was sure she would be even more of a vision.

As the seamstress hemmed the garment and as Aqua helped her pin the bottom of the dress, she found herself trying to picture herself in the dress instead… If it couldn't be real…maybe she could at least pretend that it was.

"Are you excited, Your Majesty?" the seamstress inquired, bringing Aqua out of her musings.

Leyla nodded. "I am. I can't believe I'll be getting married in a few days."

Aqua grimaced as if she'd been stuck by one of the seamstress's pins. Those words said aloud made it seem all the more real. Up until that point, Aqua had merely been going through the motions, doing what she had to, but it wasn't until she heard those words and saw the dreamy look in Leyla's eyes as she looked at herself in the massive full-length mirror that it truly hit Aqua how real this truly was. This was really happening. The dream-like air that clouded Aqua's brain, the thick haze in her skull that allowed her to cope with all this faded and was replaced with cold, foul smog of coarse comprehension. This blonde girl clad in white standing next to her was in the exact dress she would be wearing when she married Terra. No more pretending, Terra _was_ going to marry this girl in a matter of days and just as Xehanort said, there was nothing Aqua could do to change that.

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! And thanks for sticking with this story reviewing/following/favoriting!**_

_**I know this story is pretty depressing and dreary right now but things sometimes have to get worse before they get better. I also want to take a moment to assure all of you that things WILL get better! I promise! I've had lots of people express concerns about the outcome of this story and to keep from spoiling anything I will merely repeat that things WILL get better! On a lighter note, Sora and Riku are here now! That has to count for something, right? **_

_**Next time, we will be enduring the wedding rehearsal/rehearsal dinner but we will find out what Xion has been up to! **_

_**Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	9. Chapter 9

**D****isclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form! I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

It was all happening so fast… Before she knew it, it was time for Terra and Leyla's wedding rehearsal as well as the rehearsal dinner. Everyone was placed in their best attire, cannons were booming, flags were waving, and the servants were all running around in a fizz trying to make sure that everything was presentable.

Of course, the wedding and the rehearsal were to take place at sea on a lavish ship. The event would be very much like the one that took place the first time Aqua saw Terra except this time she would know what everyone on the ship would be celebrating. They would be celebrating the wedding between Leyla and Terra.

Like always and despite everything, Aqua did her best to help with the preparations. She'd gotten up early again the morning of the rehearsal to help with the last minute details. She placed posh floral arrangements in the center of all the scattered tables, lit candles, straightened lacy tablecloths, and made sure all the seating arrangements were as they should be.

She found that she liked being busy. She could put blinders on and focus on one mundane task. The work kept her mind from wandering into dark places although the fact that all of her tasks pertained to Terra's wedding never truly eluded her. It was always in the back of her mind somewhere no matter how caught up she got in her work.

The mermaid wasn't dressed for the pending festivities even though twilight would soon come to stain the sky with purples, reds, and oranges. She was far from prepared but she saw no point in getting ready just to have her appearance ruined as she scampered around on the ship and in the palace doing required tasks. She would just have to get ready all over again once it was over anyway.

All day she was pulled in what felt like one thousand different directions by the King, the twins, Leyla, Ven, Sora, Riku; you name it. She had unknowingly become a support system for everyone there. She wasn't sure how or when that happened but it had obviously happened.

So far, she'd seen everyone except for Terra and a part of her was glad; a part of her thought that it would be easier that way, but the selfish part of her wanted nothing more than to see him, hear his voice, and feel his touch. She was torn but she still knew what was right and what had to be done regardless of what she wanted.

For the most part, everything was ready for Terra and Leyla's wedding. The ship was decorated, the guests were invited, the food was prepared, and the kingdoms were eager. Terra and Leyla had even gone to the church and received the priest's and bishop's blessing. However, they didn't receive the twin's blessing but aside from that, everything was in place as far as she could see. The only thing left to do was wait.

"_Aqua? Are you still working?" _

Aqua turned to see Terra approaching her. He was clad completely in his royal Keyblade wielder armor, his helmet nestled under the crook of his arm. The metal he wore was made of bronze and gold and it made his midnight blue eyes pop.

The mermaid offered him a weak yet genuine smile as she nodded.

Terra sighed. "You know you don't have to. You've done more than enough…"

Guilt marred Terra's features as he followed her around while she continued to survey the tables and seating arrangements, making sure everything was as Leyla wanted it to be.

To ease his conscience, Aqua placed a finger over her lips and winked at him.

The Keyblade bearer rubbed his forehead in exasperation, clearly not satisfied with her rebuttal.

Sensing his distress, Aqua closed the space between them and placed a hand on his shoulder despite her better judgment. It would break all of the rules she'd established in her head regarding him and their separation. They were supposed to be weaning themselves off each other but she couldn't leave him looking like that...

The moment her hand landed on his shoulder, his eyes lifted to meet hers.

She smiled warmly at him and patted his cheek in reassurance. His features softened significantly and his eyes brightened a bit. His expression was gentler than it had been in weeks. It was as if she had the ability to heal him, to make everything better.

"You're sure you don't mind?" he inquired, reading her thoughts through her eyes.

Aqua nodded again and forced herself to rip her hand from his face. She had to try very hard to ignore the way Terra's face drooped the moment her touch left him. She would never be able to get through the next few days if she didn't.

"Thank you," he whispered and continued to follow her around the ship when she began scurrying around again.

The mermaid gave another nod, her eyes favoring the floral arrangement she'd begun straightening for no other reason than to appear busy. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. It was just too hard and it got harder and harder with each moment that passed.

"I mean it." He snatched her hand away from the vibrant flowers and held it tightly within his own.

Aqua winced at the contact as if he'd pricked her with a sharp needle although it felt wonderful…

"Thank you...for _everything_...not just the decorations."

Reluctantly, her eyes rose to meet his.

"For understanding…"

He didn't finish and he didn't have to. She knew what he meant. He was thanking her for handling all of this with grace, for understanding how important that this was, for understanding him, for understanding why he was going through with this.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tenderly running his thumbs along the flesh of her hands but she offered nothing in response.

He gazed down at her hands and stared at them intently as he continued to caress them. It looked like the world was on his shoulders. For a while, it seemed like he was about to say something. His lips would part and his eyes would search hers but words never left his mouth. He did this several times and she watched him patiently and expectantly, waiting for him to form phrases that stubbornly held fast inside his head.

Whatever he was thinking about saying, he probably didn't need to say it so Aqua gave his hands a gentle squeeze. Her movements caused his hands melt away and return to his sides where they belonged.

Terra took in a deep breath, his eyes trailing to the wood of the ship's deck beneath their feet. "I'll see you later tonight?"

Fixing her hair and disheveled dress, Aqua nodded and waved him away. This time he listened and journeyed to the other edge of the ship.

Once he was gone, she buried her face in her hands to calm herself. She really wished he hadn't done that. She appreciated it and even enjoyed it more than she could ever put into words, but it made everything so much harder, it would make letting him go harder. As pleasant as it was, it was still a bitter reminder of how much she adored him and how she wished this wedding would never happen.

Steeling herself and resolving to do her best to avoid him from that moment on, she began picking at floral arrangements and straightening table cloths again.

"_Why aren't you dressed?"_

Sadly, Aqua would know that gravelly voice anywhere and politely chose to ignore it. Although her mouth did tighten into a flat, indignant line as she proceeded to continued to straighten one of the many sheer, white tablecloths on a nearby table. She would let her actions reply for her. _Obviously_, she wasn't dressed because she was busy.

Over the past few days, Aqua's tolerance of Xehanort had reached a new low. She no longer had the time or the patience for him and his nonsense and as a result, she was ruder and ruder to the blunt advisor.

Xehanort sighed at Aqua's display and yanked her away from the table by her arm. "Go back to the castle this instant and get dressed before someone sees you like this."

Aqua gave an exasperated sigh of protest as he began shoving her out of the ship's dining hall. She started to object but thought better for it. She didn't need to cause a scene on the day of Terra's rehearsal dinner. Today wasn't a day to be getting into a fight with Xehanort.

The advisor personally hauled her back to the palace by her arm and tossed her into one of the many guest rooms filled with servants.

"Get the foundling ready for tonight," he spat as he finally released her arm and pushed her further inside.

Aqua stumbled forward but made sure to glare back at Xehanort once she regained her footing.

One thing she wouldn't miss about this world when she became the foam that slumbered upon the ocean's surface was Xehanort.

* * *

Aqua seriously considered leaving before the rehearsal began. She considered leaving before the pain grew too unbearable. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she was going to get through all of these events but she realized it would be terribly selfish to leave now. Yes, she would have to leave eventually. That was unavoidable but leaving now wouldn't be a mercy for anyone but her. Thus, she decided to continue to grin and bear it. Besides, it would be silly of her to not spend her last days with those she'd grown to care about so much, those she'd sacrificed so much for.

Once she was dressed and primped for rehearsal, Aqua was commanded to Leyla's side. She wasn't surprised or bothered by this. Leyla had become a surprisingly pleasant constant in her life of late.

Aqua journeyed to Leyla's large, elaborate quarters and, as expected, Leyla was more ornate than she had ever seen her before, which was saying something. Her pale hair was up and held fast in her hair with diamond barrettes, a gold ribbon, and even a pale, gold feather on the side of her head. Thick diamonds were in her ears as well as a chain of them hanging from her neck. Rouge was on her pallid cheeks and color was on her lips. Her dress was creamy with gold trim all over it and spiraling gold designs all over her bodice. Even her hands were decorated. White gloves that journeyed to her elbows seemed to protect her royal hands from the elements of peasantry.

Aqua walked to her and held her face in her hands and mouthed, "_You look lovely."_

Leyla blushed and smiled. "Thank you. So do you."

Surprised, the blue half human looked down and inspected herself. In her haste to have everything ready and to help everyone else, she had forgotten that she too was more ornate than usual.

She'd been placed in a white dress with a long, sheer train and a plunging neckline but a short blue jacket had been modestly placed on her frame. It had a high sheer white collar that crawled up her neck to her ears and the jacket itself was short in front but quite long in the back around her hips. A white bonnet had even been placed on her head and her overgrown hair had been pinned back behind her head. The bonnet was so over the top it even had ribbons that had been tied into big bows behind her head. Rubies were in her ears and hung low on her neck, almost down her bust.

It was too much in every sense but Aqua was raised as a princess and had been through worse, much worse. However, she couldn't keep from feeling pretty. It was one of the few times she felt pleased with her appearance while in so much garb. She felt pleasing to the eye even if it was too much and not something she would wear if she were given the choice.

"Wow. I hardly recognized you," Sora admitted from his place at Leyla's side. "Not that it's a bad thing or anything."

Aqua smiled regally, her royal blood getting the best of her. Sometimes, she still thought Leyla could see it. The princess still didn't seem entirely convinced of Aqua's '_peasant' _upbringing.

After the servants thought Leyla presentable, she was allowed to go leave.

Aqua led Leyla, Sora, and Riku to the ship where they communicated for a while as they waited for the festivities to truly begin. When Leyla was swarmed by the hoards of guests, Aqua took the time sit on the other side of the ship and rest her feet.

As she waited, Aqua heard nothing of the beautiful, festive music she knew was being played around her. She couldn't see the lovely decorations she'd helped Leyla obtain. When no one else was around, in the quiet of her mind, all she could think about was how she would be dead in less than twenty-four hours and how this would be the last time she would be with these people she had grown so fond of. She just couldn't shake the despair away when she was alone, when there was nothing to keep her busy. Death was too close… That curse, that spell; she could feel it next to her, its hot breath on her neck…

Trying to shake the painful realizations and the witch's curse away, she looked out at the shimmering ocean. They had already ventured far out to sea just as they had the first time she saw Terra.

It was so bittersweet. She was happy to be on the ship and able to participate instead of just watching longingly from afar like last time, but now that she was actually there, the witch and her curse kept her from truly enjoying it all. The price she'd paid to be with Terra was just too steep, but she would revel in this. She would fight it although it was getting harder and harder to do so and she knew it would only get worse as the events leading up to the wedding continued.

* * *

During the rehearsal itself, Aqua had been forced to kneel and hold Leyla's train and straighten it for her each time she moved as she, Terra, and the priest practiced and discussed a few of their vows.

She'd hid in Leyla's shadow, out of Terra's line of sight, down on the floor where he couldn't see her but she could see him. She could see everything, every crease of his brow, every twitch of his lips, and she could especially see how Leyla was both literally and figuratively between them.

There had been a few moments that Aqua's heart thought it all to be real and almost stopped beating at that very moment. However, each time it faltered from the pain, it would always manage to start up again but each time it did so it seemed to take longer and longer for it to recover. There was no denying that her heart was getting weaker.

It was there, on that floor, straightening the long, train of Terra's future wife's dress that she had realized she would not attend the actual wedding. She wouldn't be able to handle it. This was painful enough and this wasn't even the real thing.

The twins wouldn't like it. Ven wouldn't like it. Leyla wouldn't like it. Terra might not even like it, but this was what she had to do. She couldn't watch them really and truly get married. It would destroy her in every sense of the word.

When the time came, she would sneak away and go to an isolated beach and wait for the curse to take root. She would wait for Terra's wedding day to bring death to her but she would do it alone and away from the others. She wouldn't want them to know what became of her. She'd rather it be a mystery. She would leave as mysteriously as she'd arrived. That was for the best and how it should be.

Once the sun sank into the ocean and the rehearsal ended, lamps and lanterns were lit all around them to light the decorated deck. Everyone was now eating heartily and dancing merrily on the deck because they knew this union meant that peace was finally within their grasp. It would save them from war. It was something beautiful and Aqua tried her best to see it as such despite everything.

Just as Aqua was about to take a seat near the deck and rest her tired, tingling feet, Ven snatched her wrist and lifted her back to her feet.

"Come on!" he cried and pulled her toward the center of the deck, which was now a dance floor. "Let's dance!"

Giving a silent snicker, Aqua obliged. She kicked off her shoes and danced to the lively song, feeling little to no pain in her feet.

Ven wasn't the best dancer and this amused Aqua to no end. He could hardly dance but he seemed to enjoy it more than anyone. He wasn't a good dancer but he danced as if he was and in a way, that made him the best dancer of them all.

Eventually, the pain _did_ inevitably come back to Aqua's feet, forcing her to leave Ven's side and sit for a while. When she did so, she noticed Ven instantly ran off to find Terra. She hated how Ven was hurled into the middle of their…drama. Because Aqua and Terra didn't necessarily like being around one another anymore, Ven was forced to mediate between the two. He could no longer be with both of them as he preferred, so he had to see them separately and Aqua felt guilty for that. If it were up to her, the three of them would be together, always, but it was truly out of her hands.

While Aqua rested her feet, she took some time to drink in her surroundings. It was something she did a lot since becoming a human. She couldn't speak and that required her to compensate by watching and listening. She couldn't be on her feet much and she compensated by watching what others did on theirs.

When Ven wasn't with Aqua or Terra, he danced with Naminé, and Aqua couldn't keep herself from smiling every time he took her hand in his and drug her out onto the deck. Naminé's eyes would shine as she giggled bashfully and tried to hide the rose in her cheeks with her free hand.

Ventus was the only person Aqua knew of who could interrupt Naminé's drawing and effectively pull her away from her sketchpad with no objections from the dainty princess.

The atmosphere around them was light, almost heady. Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. Even Vanitas seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual. Instead of being rude and callous, he actually tried to be nice and sociable. He even asked Aqua to dance once and she actually accepted. In fact, she was a bit flattered that he asked her in the first place. Who was she to turn such seldom kindness away?

During her dance with Vanitas, Aqua had noticed that Sora, Riku, and Kairi had hit it off almost instantly. The trio was all but inseparable. They were fast friends and Aqua knew Kairi would be sad when they were forced to leave with Leyla.

While inspecting Sora, Kairi, and Riku, the mermaid also noticed Kairi enjoyed spending time with Sora over spending time with Vanitas. Sora and Kairi were effortless, natural, something that was clearly special.

Why couldn't have Xehanort sent Sora for Kairi? What on earth made Xehanort think that Vanitas would be a better match for Kairi than Sora? They were both from Twilight Town. Then, she remembered Xehanort had a soft spot for Vanitas. Xehanort wanted _Vanitas_ to be prince consort… Xehanort could control Vanitas, which meant having control over the future king…

The bitter part of Aqua wished that Sora had been sent instead of Vanitas, if he had been sent here instead, Leyla might not be here, which meant Terra wouldn't be engaged to her and not about to marry her the instant the sun rose…

_No, Aqua. Stop it. Don't let the witch turn you bitter. Don't give her the satisfaction. She might have been right about all of this bringing you more pain and sorrow, but she can't keep all happiness from you…even if you do become the foam that sleeps on the water's surface tomorrow._

Despite the pain that always returned to her feet, she kept getting up and dancing again and again. She danced with Sora, Ven, Riku, Vanitas, and even a few strangers! She had never danced in such a way before, not even undersea and it drew in attention. Lots of men approached her, intrigued by her like so many of the others. The witch had told her she would be the prettiest thing the humans would ever lay eyes on and the attention she received that night made her wonder if it were true.

The other men who approached her were nice. Some of them were even handsome. They offered her food and drinks and sometimes she was polite and accepted, but her actions were empty. She had nothing to offer them other than her smile and her presence; everything else inside of her already belonged to someone else. _She_ belonged to someone else. She was hollow inside having given everything she had to a man who sat not too far from them on this very ship.

When she wasn't dancing, she found herself playing around with the others. She showed them the magic she'd learned, learned a few new magical tactics from the boys, and even got into a food fight with Ventus, Sora, and Vanitas, which quickly escalated until everyone (aside from Leyla and Terra) was involved and covered in either cake or salad bits. Not even poor Aerith had been spared.

Tifa's black dress had been ruined, Sora's pants would never be the same, and Kairi would be picking caviar out of her hair for months. Before it was all over, Aqua had been forced out of her blue jacket and bonnet. Now she was left only in her white dress. Her hair had fallen out of its tiny bun but she didn't mind at all. In fact, she felt a bit more comfortable aside from the pain in her sides from silently laughing too much. Her poor ribs ached.

The joy and happiness and festivities aboard the ship lasted long after midnight. Aqua continued to laugh and dance with everyone, while the thoughts of death and what it brought slowly began to permeat her heart, filling it to the brim until it would surely burst were it not already fractured.

Gradually, everything began to wind down and the dead of night settled upon them. However, Terra's absence was becoming more and more abundant. As fun as everything had been for a while, the fact that Terra wasn't with them never truly left the back of her mind. Things just weren't the same without him. There was a void in her life that couldn't be filled without him. Having Terra as a friend was still better than not having him at all.

As a result of all the dancing, her tender feet felt as if knives were ripping them apart but the sharper pang was in her heart. The pain in her feet paled in comparison to the pain surging in her chest each time she thought of Terra, each time she was reminded of her fate; her curse.

The pain caused the mermaid to have second thoughts about resolving to avoid Terra. Yes, it would be harder to see him and she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye, but it was also something she felt she needed.

Eventually, she decided she needed to at least _look_ at him once more. Confronting him would be to hard but she could at least look at him…from afar like she had done many times long before he even knew she existed. After all, this might be her last chance… This would be the last night she would see Terra, the man for whom she had forsaken her family and her home. She had given up her ability to speak, her beautiful voice, her silver tongue and suffered unheard amounts of pain for him daily, while he knew nothing of it. He remained blissfully unaware of how deeply her pain and devotion truly ran. He knew only a fragment of the suffering she endured…

This was the last evening that she would breathe the same air as him or gaze at the starry sky above or the rippling sea below; an eternal night, without a thought or a dream, awaited her. How could she expect anything else? She didn't have her heart, the one she had set out to receive. She had no heart, and now she had no hope of ever winning one. Not now.

When the ache of missing Terra became too much, the mermaid timidly journeyed to the other edge of the ship.

Staying hidden in the shadows, Aqua could see Leyla sitting across Terra's lap. Terra was sitting flat on the deck, his back resting against the wooden siding of the ship. Leyla's head was steady resting upon his armored chest. His eyes were a million miles away as she occasionally played with his chocolate colored hair and planted a gentle kiss upon his cheek.

It was as if everyone had taken their instruction and the festivities began to slow down as well, much to Aqua's dismay. If the festivities stopped, then they would sleep soon and sleeping meant morning would come and morning meant the wedding and the wedding meant death…

Aqua's chest heaved as she fought for breath, wrestling with the thought of the inevitable.

The mermaid gazed at Terra for a moment longer, until she felt she could no longer bear it. She tried to memorize every contour of his face, every crease, every angle. She wanted to engrave it into her memory and never forget it. She never wanted to forget how handsome he was, how just looking at him made her feel.

When she could take no more and when she felt she had memorized his features to the best of her ability, she kissed her fingers and silently sent her thoughts to him, telling him how much she loved him and how much he would always mean to her and how, in spite of everything, she had no regrets. If she could do it all over, she would do no differently.

Feeling light headed, Aqua wandered to the abandoned edge of the ship, away from the others, away from the crowd, and away from Terra.

The salty waves kissed her cheeks in a vain attempt to rid her of her woes. The breeze and mist soothed her and she felt as though she could breathe again. The sea would always heal her and would always be a part of her just as she was a part of it. There was solace in that.

Aqua looked to the east and she could see the early blush of morning…one of the last, if not _the_ last, sunrise she would ever see. The next would bring her death…

The blue half human gazed down below; expecting to see her reflection shining dully back at her, but to her complete shock, saw Xion rising out of the flood instead.

Xion looked as pale and as worn as she did. Something was wrong, very wrong. The longer Aqua looked, she was able to focus and see that Xion's long raven hair had been cut off. It was gone, hacked all the way to her chin.

"I gave my hair to the witch," said Xion as if reading her thoughts. "I-I know you told me not to, but I had to. I did it to help you… So you won't die tomorrow. She… She gave me this knife."

Raising her arm out of the dark water, Xion revealed the knife held firmly in her hand. It glistened in the weak, morning light and its sharp edge made Aqua wince.

"Before the sun sets tomorrow…she said to plunge it through Terra's heart, and when his warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again. Your tail will grow back and you will be a mermaid again. You can come home, but you have to do it before he marries her…"

The dark-haired mermaid offered the weapon up to her, and with trembling hands Aqua took hold of the hilt.

She stared at it for a long moment, caressing its devilishly sharp edges with her thumb before shook her head.

_I can't._

"Aqua… Gran misses you so much… She rarely goes to any balls or galas anymore… Her hair is falling out and I gave mine to the witch's scissors. I know it is horrible and unspeakable… And I know you love him…but… Aqua, if you kill him, you can come back home. You can take back your rightful place at the throne and one day become Queen like you were always intended to… I know that isn't want you want anymore but it has to be better than- Aqua…you are going to die…"

"Aqua?" Terra's unmistakable voice graced her ears and her heart dove into her stomach.

Xion plunged down into the black depths beneath the ship and Aqua leapt out of her skin. Swiftly, she hid the knife behind her back and turned to face him.

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **_

_**We are about to wrap this story up, guys! There should be maybe one or two more chapters. I am shooting for one because I would like this story to have 10 chapters but we will see how long the finale takes! **_

_**Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid in any way, shape, or form. I own nothing!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Gathering her composure, Aqua turned to face Terra, the knife still hidden away behind her back.

"What are you doing out here?"

Aqua thought about it for a moment, gnawing her bottom lip a bit before ultimately shrugging.

"You shouldn't lean so far over the edge. It isn't safe," he chastised lightly as he gently pulled her away from the edge by her wrist.

The mermaid complied and took her light scolding but kept the knife behind her back so it would remain unnoticed.

There was a moment of heavy silence where he said nothing but he didn't release her wrist either. She really wished he would. She was sure he could feel her frantic pulse in his palm. She was frightened and nervous; her head was swimming for a multitude of reasons.

"I can't do it," he said suddenly, causing her to jump and look at him wide-eyed.

_I beg your pardon?_

Aqua took a step back and away from him as her brow furrowed with confusion and skepticism. She didn't understand…

"I can't marry Leyla," the Keyblade wielder reiterated and Aqua almost dropped the knife in shock.

_What are you saying?_

Aqua took in a sharp breath before averting her gaze. No, he couldn't do this. She wouldn't let him. Not now after everything…

She shook her head.

"Don't you want that?" he asked, sounding hurt.

Of course… Of course she did. She wanted that more than anything but it would be selfish and wrong of her to demand it.

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to shake her head.

Terra sighed heavily before walking to the edge of the ship and gripping the railing so hard his knuckles blanched.

"I know what you're thinking. It's the same thing I'm thinking. I don't want to marry her but it's the right thing to do, isn't it?"

Aqua nodded.

"But I…" he hesitated and before she knew what was happening he was right in front of her.

Terra grabbed her shoulders, swiftly and coarsely forcing her around until she completely faced him. Once she was there, he wrapped his arms around her. It was a tight, desperate embrace, one that startled her to the point that she didn't even return it. She just stood there, feeling nothing but his arms around her shoulders and the knife's leathery hilt in her hand.

He was so close… She could easily do it. He'd never see it coming. She could plunge that jagged knife right into his back and his blood would spill down his body and onto her feet, and she would get her tail back. She wouldn't die and she could go back home…

The mermaid looked over his broad shoulder, back at the sky, the rosy dawn growing brighter and brighter; then, she glanced down at she shining knife in her hand before ultimately, looking back at Terra who was still holding her tenderly, his fingers laced in her hair.

The knife trembled violently in her hand before she dropped it, the sharp metallic sound of her salvation ringing harshly in her ears as it hit the hard, wooden deck of the ship.

Aqua lifted her eyes up and away and for the very first time, she felt her eyes filling with warm liquid. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest where she began quaking with silent sobs. She didn't care who saw. She needed this. _They_ needed this.

_I love you… _she mouthed but he didn't hear her. He couldn't hear her but she knew that she'd said it. There was peace in knowing that those beautiful yet silent words rolled off her lamented tongue before quietly ribboning out of her mouth where they dissolved into nothing, a sound not any louder than the breath of a dove.

Sensing the water spilling from her eyes, Terra pulled away and began wiping it away with his thumbs.

Aqua stiffened with embarrassment. She was… What did they call it…crying? Crying was something that was a bit of a big deal to humans and now she understood why. How painful it was to have one's emotions bubble up so forcefully that they spill from their eyes…

Fisting her hand and bringing it up to wipe the warm water away, she tried shoo his hands away.

"Don't cry. I can stand anyone's tears but yours," he said as he persisted and continued to hold her face in his hands, wiping the tears as he did so.

She was falling apart at the seams. She was suddenly sad and frightened. Everything she'd been holding back came flooding out of her with the tears that fell. How dreadful this was. She'd never felt like this before. All the sadness she'd felt in the sea combined had never felt like this. If humans had the ability to do this, it was no wonder that Gran had said that they were so much better off than humans.

However, with the warm liquid came a relief she'd never felt before. It felt horrible but only for a moment. Eventually, it became soothing. Crying… Crying helped. In the sea, one could not cry and it made pain and sorrow so much worse. There was no relief for them but here, she was capable of crying and it dulled the pain. It spilled from her eyes instead of spreading inside of her and poisoning her soul.

Suddenly, she was back in his arms again.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I-I just…" he whispered, rubbing soothing circles on her back and tracing invisible drawings onto the back of her neck. "I needed to talk to you. I needed to hold you even if it was for the last time… Is it the last time?"

Reluctantly, Aqua nodded. She wouldn't let him be selfish even though she knew all she had to do was say the word and he wouldn't marry Leyla… She couldn't in all conscious do that. Her life, her misery, it was trivial and insignificant. It paled in comparison to what would happen if she didn't let Terra go through with this.

Terra sighed and relented but his arms tightened around her. She melted against him and he held her for what felt like a much too short eternity.

Eventually, he pulled away. "I should go check on Leyla before she or Xehanort come looking for me…"

A nod was her reply.

"I'll see you at the wedding," he said as he leaned forward and kissed her chastely on the forehead, almost like a brother.

It stung to have him treat her as something platonic but it was for the best. She would keep telling herself that until the end.

Once Terra was gone, she knelt down and picked the knife up off the creaking deck.

The mermaid looked at the malicious weapon in her palm for a moment before she threw it far away from her and into the waves. The water turned crimson where it fell and the drops that spurted up from the impact looked like blood.

* * *

The morning was bright and glittering as it poured into her bedroom through her large windows and cast warm shadows onto the blues and silvers that hung in her room. It was very fitting for a wedding day. It was the kind of morning every bride hopes for. The tides were gentle and kind and there was not a cloud in the sky.

As consciousness secured its grip around her, Aqua could hear the commotion outside. Everyone was getting ready for the wedding itself. They would come to prepare her for the event as well. The wedding would take place at sunset so she would have to be dressed and ready by that afternoon, but that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't going to get ready. She had to slip out before anyone came looking for her.

When the sun began setting, Aqua quietly made her way to her oversized closet where she pulled out her favorite dress, the thin, white one with faint, ruffled sleeves and silky, ivory ribbon. It was a casual dress, one that required no corset, one meant for outdoor excursions and chores but it had quickly become her favorite.

She put on the dress and crawled out her large balcony window. Carefully, she began scaling the castle of gold, marble and ivory, slowly making her way down the sharp slopes to the ground and once her tender feet connected with the lush grass of the courtyard, she made her way to the beach.

The sand and even the ocean was tinted orange by the dying sun in the distance but the sky was blotted with purple, pink, and yellow. As Aqua made her way to the shore, she couldn't keep from thinking of how lovely the wedding ship would be on that glowing, yellow-orange water. All the reflective lights and the white of the ship would contrast beautifully with it. There was a strange joy that came with that thought. She was happy that the ceremony would be beautiful. She wanted it to be. She wanted everyone to be happy. She wanted their happiness more than anything.

Extra caution was taken so she wouldn't be noticed as she snuck away. She figured that there wouldn't be much danger of that happening considering everyone was so caught up in the wedding and all that it entailed. They probably wouldn't even notice she was gone until later but that was what she wanted.

However, leaving without saying goodbye had been harder than she anticipated but she'd resolved that this too was for the best. She didn't want them to know what became of her but the sadness and the hurt would be unavoidable regardless of what she did. Still, this surely would be better than them _knowing_ she died. She wanted to disappear as mysteriously as she appeared. She felt that she could live on through them if she did that. They could hold onto hope that way and think of her living happily somewhere else. Perhaps with time, they could forgive her.

Her bare feet caressed the warm sand and collided with the tide as she walked along the shore with no clear destination in mind. She just needed to get away from the castle. She assumed she would just walk until she couldn't anymore. She wanted her last moments to be by the waves, near the sea. She needed its solace, a solace only it could give her.

The mermaid didn't make it far before she heard someone yelling after her.

She started to ignore it. She started to run away but she didn't really see the point. She'd been seen and where would she run to anyway? She was on a wide, vast shoreline and thanks to her condition her body would tire almost instantly. She was weaker than she had ever been in her life. It was pathetic really…

Slowly and reluctantly, Aqua turned to face the voice and she frowned when she saw whom it belonged to.

"What on earth do you think you are doing out here? Have you completely lost the little sense you had?" Xehanort bellowed.

Aqua offered no response. She only stared at him, blankly, attempting to will him away with a black look.

"You are supposed to be at the wedding! The wedding ship is about to depart and for some misguided reason, those fools refuse to start without you!"

Aqua merely shook her head with queenly arrogance.

"No?" he gawked, shocked by her defiance.

Fearless, she shook her head again.

"What do you mean _no_? You mean to tell me you aren't going?"

The blue mermaid nodded and tried to continue her trek down the sparkling shoreline.

"Like hell you aren't! Princess Leyla needs you! I have no qualms with you leaving, foundling. You and I are both aware of how disgusted I am with your presence here, but you are _not _leaving _now_!" Xehanort snatched her arm but Aqua yanked it away the instant she felt that slimy appendage slithering around her limb.

Xehanort's tawny eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"Stubborn girl," he hissed and tried again only to have her do the same. "You have two choices, _foundling_! We can either do this the easy way or the hard way but either way, you are going to that wedding."

When he reached for her again, she seriously considered electrocuting him with Thunder but refrained. If she did something like that, he would tell everyone and it would tarnish her memory…

Angry, Xehanort wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her off the ground.

If Aqua could scream, she would have. She was not going to be manhandled this way. Instantly, she began kicking and bludgeoning his arms to get him to release her. Yes, he was a man and was likely stronger than her but he was not young by any means. She resolved to fend him off without magic.

"Feral as a damn bobcat!" he howled as he struggled to keep his grip on her writhing form. He placed her to the ground in front of him and shoved her back to the direction of the castle.

Suddenly, her head was swimming. She felt very weak, weaker than normal and her legs started to wobble as she stumbled forward.

Blood filled her ears and everything grew dense and cloudy. She could feel Xehanort pushing her, yelling at her but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The haze in her head was too thick.

Her footing wavered and her hand flew to her forehead. Her breathing became uneven, labored, and shallow. Air was refusing to go down into her lungs. She gasped and tried to swallow it back down but it refused. Her body rejected it…

She couldn't breathe. It felt like she was having what the humans called an asthma attack. Breath wouldn't go into her and the longer she went without it the more she just wanted to lie down and sleep.

Unable to find anything else to take hold of, Aqua clung to Xehanort. Her eyes sought out his and she tried to explain what was happening to her but he either didn't understand or didn't care, perhaps both. Xehanort lacked the heart it took to understand her but she supposed it didn't matter. He couldn't help her even if he wanted to.

Frantically gasping for ragged breath, she began to slip to her shaky knees. Hollow wheezing sounds flew in and out of her throat as she sank further and further into the sand. She held Xehanort's gray coat firmly in her hands and after watching her with vacant eyes for a few moments, coarsely yanked his coat out of her hands, causing her to plummet face first to the grainy ground.

She crumpled up at his black feet and she could feel him staring down at her contemptibly, emotionlessly. Eventually, he slipped his boot away from her quaking hands and casually walked around her, leaving her to die.

Her time was running out. Perhaps the wedding had started without her…

Aqua hoped against hope that she wasn't too close to the castle. She didn't care that Xehanort was gone and that he probably wasn't going to get help. She just hoped that no one she cared about stumbled upon her like this. She didn't want them to see her like this… She didn't want them to watch her die. She didn't want them to try in vain to revive her.

She couldn't move; she couldn't breath although her lungs continued to pulse with life in a vain attempt to force air back into her. The only thing she could do was lay there and watch the sparkling, orange tide draw closer and closer to her.

Trembling, she reached for it. She tried to will it to her and when it finally touched her fingertips, the pain vibrating in her chest subsided.

The coolness of the water was nice despite everything. The tide was coming in and she knew she would go out with it soon and become part of the ocean again.

The others would wonder why she wasn't at the wedding, but again, she knew it would be better this way. She would just disappear. She didn't want them to know she'd died. She wanted to live on as the strange yet kind, mute girl who gracefully slipped into their lives and mysteriously slipped out. She convinced herself- as the waves scurried toward and then away from her- that this was all for the best. She was at peace, which was more than a lot of people got in their last moments. She wasn't afraid, as she had been before. She was at peace knowing everyone would be safe thanks to the marriage and the twins would be happy and marry whoever they wanted, whoever they loved…

With the thought of the twins, their happiness, peace, and finally, Terra, she closed her eyes and began to drift out. The water was at her elbow now, tickling at her torso, cool, tender, and soft. It felt good… The pain was melting away and the contentment of deep sleep was blanketing over her with the salty liquid.

Time trickled away, losing all relevance and meaning while the things that once mattered slowly began to dissolve and slip through her fingers…

"_Aqua! Aqua!"_

Suddenly, the water was gone. She was hauled out of the swell and what remained was dripping off her and she didn't understand why… Wasn't she leaving with the tide? Didn't the sea want her back?

"_Breathe, Aqua! Breathe!"_

_I can't…_

Arms were around her but it wasn't the sea's arms. This wasn't her ocean's embrace. This was something different. It was very warm and very familiar and these arms were…clumsily shaking her limp body and trying to pump life back into her.

"_No. Please…"_

_I'm sorry… I have to. I don't have a choice…_

"_Aqua…"_

The voice was touching her face now, caressing it and popping it gently in an attempt to spark life back into her. She wanted to push them away. They were very troublesome…

"_Stay with me! You stay with me! Aqua… Please… I love you…"_

Breath shot back into her like a torrent, so fast and so sudden she couldn't even take it in. It seemed wrong and foreign now. She wasn't supposed to be breathing anymore…

After a few failed attempts, the air managed to travel all the way down her throat and into her withered lungs.

Gradually, her eyes cracked open but things seemed a bit too bright so she closed them again almost immediately.

The arms were still around her, that warmth was still there with her, waiting anxiously.

Forcing her eyes open again, she briefly saw a very familiar form, Terra's form. She couldn't keep from be reminded of her first day as a human when he found her on the marble steps of the palace…except this time water was clinging to his armor and his dark hair…

Suddenly, his head was low, on top of hers and her cheek was gingerly pressed to the bronze metal coating his chest.

"Don't leave me," he begged and held her tighter to his chest, cradling her tenderly, affectionately.

"But I'm tired," she whispered, her voice very weak, hoarse, and rough, so foreign she didn't even recognize it as her own.

Terra tensed and jerked away from her so he could look down at her. "Aqua? Did you just speak?"

Long lashes fluttering, she looked up at him quizzically. "I-I…don't know…"

Terra looked like he might fall over from either shock or relief but instead he pulled her back into an embrace she was too weak to return, her sand-covered arms remained limp at her sides. "I thought I lost you…"

She giggled, a bit drunk but off what she didn't know. "No… I'm still here. The real question is…why are you here? The wedding…"

"That's not important now." He buried his face in her hair and caressed the back of her neck lovingly; occasionally planting soft, urgent kisses in her hair he did so. "What's important is getting you taken care of. Come on. I have to take you to Aerith." He shifted on the damp sand and lifted her limp body into his arms bridal style.

"No, I'm fine… You should go… Leyla…" If she had the strength, she would have fought him and demanded he put her down.

"Leyla will understand," he replied, his tone stern and a bit clipped.

"Don't be mad…" she raved, her eyelids heavy as led.

Terra cradled her closer to his form. "I'm not mad… I was scared…"

Shoving the lightheadedness away she looked up at him and placed a pale hand on his cheek. "Don't be…scared…"

"Your voice…" he mused breathless, looking mystified. "I've heard it. I know you. I knew you before…"

"Mm… A long time ago…when I had sapphire scales…" she replied incoherently before losing consciousness.

* * *

"_I don't know. I found her face down in the water by the shore. I have no idea why she was that far away from the castle."_

"_I suppose it doesn't matter as long as she's okay now. She just needs to regain consciousness…"_

Recognizing the voices bouncing around in her fuzzy head, she opened her eyes and saw that she was in the infirmary surrounded by concerned expressions.

Her face went hot. They were all still in their formal wear from the wedding. What happened? Was Terra married? If he was, then why was she alive? She was so confused and the confusion was only intensifying.

"Welcome back," Aerith said with a smile, giving Aqua's hand a quick squeeze.

Aqua returned the sentiment.

"Is everything alright? Is she going to be okay?" Terra asked as he protectively watched Aqua as if she'd disappear if he looked away for too long.

"I see no reason why not. I think it was just an asthma attack."

"No. It wasn't just an asthma attack. She wasn't breathing at all. She was lying face down in the water. She wasn't moving. She was—"

Aqua snatched his hand to calm him. "I'm okay now."

"Whatever it was, it seemed to do you good. You can speak again and I couldn't hear your heart murmur. You vitals are the best that I've ever seen them," Aerith stated in elated disbelief.

The mermaid's hand automatically went to her heart. She could feel it beating strongly against her fingertips…but how? This wasn't supposed to happen. She should be gone now… Unless…

Baby blue eyes cut to Terra in shock. Was it possible? Did he…? Had she obtained the impossible?

Aqua sank into the milky expanse of the small, infirmary bed, knowing she'd just made a huge mess of things…

Aerith and Terra kept talking and discussing what could have caused her episode but it all muddled in her ears before it could resonate. She stopped listening. Besides, she knew the real answer. Her curse had caught up to her. The stress, the pending wedding, it was so close that she began drifting out. She was fulfilling her destiny by becoming the foam that sleeps on the water's surface but Terra had saved her… He kept the seawitch's premonition from coming to pass.

"Do you know what happened before you passed out?" Aerith's gentle voice broke through. The kind girl was looking down at her expectantly.

"I was taking a walk then, Xehanort showed up—"

"Wait." Terra stopped her. "Xehanort knew this happened to you?"

Aqua bit her lip.

"He told me he hadn't seen you." Rage flashed behind Terra's blue eyes.

She looked down, unsure of what she should say or what she shouldn't say.

"Aqua, if he did something to you, you should tell," he added sternly, taking her hand firmly in his.

"He left me… He was there when I… But he left me to…"

Terra gave Aerith a look and she shrank a bit.

"We have to tell Ansem the Wise," Aerith said matter-of-factly, her eyes wide and appalled.

Terra nodded and Aqua felt guilty even though she probably shouldn't. Yes, what Xehanort did was wrong but she couldn't keep from feeling immoral turning him in like this. Yes, he had left her do die but he hadn't tried to strangle the life out of her himself…

"I'll tell him later. Once we sort through all this." Terra rubbed his brow in exasperation.

Aqua frowned. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to—"

"Stop," Terra interrupted. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. If anyone should apologize, it's Xehanort."

"But—"

Before Aqua could say anything else, Tifa, Naminé, Kairi, and Leyla busted into the infirmary.

"Aqua!" Kairi cried as she leapt onto the bed and embraced her.

"Are you okay?" Naminé asked and sat down on the bed as well.

Aqua nodded as she patted Kairi's back and Naminé's head.

"When we couldn't find you at the wedding, we were so worried!" Kairi murmured into her neck.

"It's okay," she said, her voice low. "I'm okay."

Kairi recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "It's true! You can talk now!"

A small smile bloomed across the mermaid's face at Kairi's obvious joy.

"Hearing you talk…" Naminé giggled. "…It's going to take some getting used to."

Aqua smiled until her eyes met Leyla's then they immediately dropped.

The princess was still in her wedding gown and she looked stunning. Aqua couldn't understand why Terra wouldn't have gone through with the wedding. Leyla was an absolute vision. If angels existed, Aqua was sure they wouldn't look unlike Leyla.

Her lacy wedding dress was heart-shaped and sleeveless at the stop but was hidden beneath an extra layer of sheer, snowy lace that created a high collar and long sleeves. The dress was very tight, like an extra layer of skin that showcased her hourglass curves beautifully. Her gleaming golden locks were in long loose curls that flowed down to her waist and her makeup was subtle as to not corrupt her natural beauty.

"Would any of you mind if I spoke to Aqua alone?" Leyla inquired gently, folding her hands in front of her.

Everyone exchanged glances before looking at Aqua.

"It's fine. Go," the mermaid forced a smile and waved them away.

Once everyone reluctantly left the room, a heavy silence surrounded them. However, Aqua was still quite sure that the twins were still probably listening from outside.

"How are you?" Leyla asked, sounding sincere which surprised Aqua. She was expecting her to be angry. She'd ruined her wedding…

"Just a little weak still. I'm much better now though. Thank you."

Leyla smiled and took an elegant seat at the foot of her bed. "My, you do have a lovely voice. I'm glad it has come back. It's a shame you lost it in the first place."

Aqua blushed and twiddled her fingers in her lap. "Thank you."

After another moment of strained silence, Aqua sighed and forced her eyes to mate with Leyla's. "Leyla… What happened? No one is telling me what happened… The wedding?"

Leyla took a breath. "I… I know Terra loves you."

The mermaid blanched and felt she might be sick.

The princess giggled a bit. "I think I knew the first night I met you. He has always been so protective of you and when we realized you weren't on the wedding ship, everyone panicked, especially Terra. He was blazing off to find you without giving it a second thought. And I knew… I confronted him about it and he told me the truth. I couldn't in all good conscience take him from you so I called off the wedding."

"Leyla…"

"I know why you two did it. You love the twins and you love your kingdom. I understand. I love mine too, obviously, or I wouldn't be here marrying a complete stranger." Leyla smiled, looking whimsical. "I also realized that I want what you and Terra have. I don't want a forced marriage or a forced love. I want…what you wanted for the twins…"

"I understand. I know what it's like to have things forced on you. I was a princess too once."

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew you were royalty the first moment I laid eyes on you!"

Aqua laughed softly. "You were right but…if you don't mind, I'd like to keep that between us."

"Oh. Of course, I understand." Leyla pretended to lock her lips with an invisible key.

Aqua held her head down. "Leyla, I appreciate what you've done for me and Terra. I can't tell you how thankful I am. I want nothing more than to be able to have a life with Terra but what about the twins? What about our kingdoms?"

"I will speak to my father. I will do everything I can to protect this land and these people. I won't let war come to our homes."

"How?" Aqua couldn't keep herself from asking. She knew that she could never keep her father from doing what he thought was right. He did whatever he put his mind to regardless of what she said. She'd never encountered war in the underwater world but she doubted she'd have much say in the matter regardless of her rank.

"I believe in fate and destiny and I think that it will work itself out."

Aqua gave Leyla a confused look but the blonde princess just gave her a knowing grin.

"Sora and Kairi." Leyla beamed, her tone lighthearted.

"Sora and Kairi?" The mermaid's blue brow rose.

"Sora _adores _Kairi. They have something natural, effortless, and very real."

"I've noticed that too but—"

"I think that Vanitas should come back to Twilight Town with me and eventually, Sora –if he so chooses – should take his place and stay here, with her."

Aqua frowned. "What if he doesn't?"

"If he doesn't, then I will be very surprised."

"It could takes years before they fall in love, if ever…"

"Ansem the Wise and my father were willing to wait for them to agree to marry Ventus and Vanitas. I think they will be willing to wait for this too. However, I think this should be more natural. Sora and I will visit often and you and Kairi could come to Twilight Town and if I know that twinkle in his eye the way that I think I do, he will grow tired of being without her."

"It's risky…"

"Trust me, Aqua. I'll tell my father that it holds promise but I swear it won't be like how Xehanort forced Vanitas on Kairi. I won't do that to her or to Sora. I won't take it any farther than they want. If it doesn't work out the way I think it will, I'll think of something else, but I will play my part in helping these two along. After all, who are we to keep them apart when they have grown so close?" Leyla winked.

For the first time in a long time, Aqua felt hopeful. She saw how Kairi looked at Sora and vise versa. Something was certainly there, but even if it wasn't, she would come up with something else. Aqua would defend this place with her bare hands if she had to. It was her responsibility now since it was her fault the arranged marriage meant to bring peace had been stripped away, but she would trust Leyla and she would put it in fates hands as Leyla had. She too would believe that it would work out, somehow.

* * *

After her brush with death, Aqua was temporarily placed on bed rest. Even though she was much better – better than she had been since becoming human – they still kept her activity to a minimum since they still weren't quite sure what caused her collapse initially. They didn't want her overdoing it or making things worse.

Aqua stayed in her room, in her big bed while everyone came in and out to check on her, visit, and entertain her. Most of her visitors just came to see if she had truly regained the ability to speak. The look of shock on their faces when her vocal chords hummed never got old.

Everyone was very kind and attentive but no one was as attentive as Terra. He rarely left and when he did, it was only because Aqua insisted that he needed to, but even then, he was never gone for too long.

Even now he remained by her side, his fingers laced tightly with hers, his thumb ghosting over her knuckles.

"King Ansem discharged Xehanort," Terra said softly. "You won't have to worry about him anymore. He will be tried disregard for human life and attempted manslaughter as well so for now, he is in prison. I wager he will probably be there until he dies, if he is convicted or if the twins and I have anything to say about it."

Aqua nodded and looked down at her hands solemnly.

"You still aren't too keen on talking, are you?" Terra chuckled.

"Sorry. I'm still getting use to it but even before I lost my voice, I wasn't too talkative anyway." She shrugged.

There was a long moment of silence where Terra's dark blue eyes sought out hers. "Do you remember what you said to me? When I found you?"

"Vaguely…"

"When I heard your voice, I remembered it. It's still very familiar. I said that we had met before I found you here and you agreed."

Aqua swallowed hard.

"Is it true?"

A nod was the answer.

"So all this time I wasn't crazy for finding you so familiar?"

The mermaid shook her head.

Terra squeezed her hand tighter and leaned toward her. "When?"

Licking her lips, she tried to think of the best way to explain without explaining too much. "When you almost drowned."

The Keyblade wielder's brow creased. "I'm sorry. I don't…"

"I found you before Leyla did…" Her eyes avoided his.

"Then, why don't I remember? And how did you end up here?"

"I found you, got you out of the water, and took you to shore. I stayed with you as long as I could before I had to leave. Then, I left you with Leyla knowing you would be taken care of. I talked to you while you were unconscious. That's why you find my voice so familiar."

"So you're from the Destiny Islands?" he inquired, still sounding confused.

"No. I was only there briefly."

"Then, where are you from?"

Aqua looked away. "I'd rather not talk about my home."

"Right. Of course, I understand," he said gently.

Bringing her legs to her chest, she went mute again.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She felt him moving to sit on the bed next to her then, felt his arms wrapping around her.

"No. It's okay."

"I guess. I should be thanking you," he mused.

Aqua looked up at him skeptically.

Terra smiled down at her, not releasing her from his embrace. "For saving my life."

Aqua blushed and couldn't keep herself from beaming. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever hear those words fall from his mouth. She thought he would die not knowing she'd saved him.

"Y-You're welcome," she stuttered, breathless and overcome with emotions she didn't recognize.

* * *

"Promise you'll come back to visit?" Aqua inquired as she embraced Leyla.

"I will, I promise." The princess smiled. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Sora will demand we return soon. He isn't happy about leaving. He kept asking if we could stay longer."

Aqua followed Leyla's gaze to see Kairi holding Sora in a tight farewell hug. Sora generously returned the gesture and when he pulled away Kairi offered him her good luck charm. Aqua had _never_ seen Kairi offer that charm to _anyone_, not even her own twin sister.

Leyla was right, there was something special between them and Aqua couldn't keep herself from smiling.

"She'll miss him," Aqua said, her eyes not leaving Kairi and Sora.

"You'll just have to bring her to Twilight Town to visit," Leyla replied.

The mermaid gave a nod. "I will... and Leyla?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For everything."

Leyla looked surprised but grateful. "I think I should thank you. You made me realize what I wanted out of life. So thank you."

Aqua smiled. "You're welcome."

With that, Leyla began making her way to the dock to board the ship and she and Riku had to practically drag Sora by his ears to get him to follow.

* * *

Once she was allowed to leave her bed and once she got a moment alone, she went to the stone steps, she went to the water. She went to her favorite place in the castle, to the marble steps to look for Xion.

Her feet no longer ached or felt as if they were being torn at the seams when she walked. She had been healed in every way possible. The witch hadn't mentioned what would happen if she got her immortal heart but she had been so certain she wouldn't obtain it, she didn't bother to tell her the benefits, only the consequences.

No, her feet no longer tortured her but she still wanted to feel the water on her skin. She still ached to be close to it despite everything and more than that she wanted to find Xion. She only hoped that she would come to the castle. She hadn't seen Xion since she gave her the knife and she desperately hoped that Xion didn't think she'd died or that she'd killed Terra…

Aqua slipped onto her favorite step and dipped her feet into the warm swell, closing her eyes at the marvelous sensation of it. It felt even better now that her feet no longer ached and throbbed. It was like feeling the ocean for the first time. It amazed her how differently everything felt now that her curse had been lifted. She had more strength, she didn't struggle to breathe, her chest didn't ache, and her feet were no longer ripped apart by the slightest of movements. She felt new, fresh. It was how she was supposed to feel as a human… Existing was not supposed to be painful and it wasn't anymore.

"_Aqua! You're okay!"_

Aqua opened her eyes to see Xion practically leaping from the water to embrace her.

By returning the jovial embrace, Aqua was getting soaked but she didn't care. She could only laugh and return the sentiment.

"Wait… If you're okay, then… Did you—"

The blue mermaid shook her head.

"Then he?"

A bright, genuine smile bloomed across Aqua's face.

"But how! He was going to marry that human girl."

"You're right. He was. And I was going to let him but she called it off."

"So, you're safe?" Xion inquired, her voice bright with hope.

Aqua's hand instinctively went to her chest. "I think so."

Xion automatically hugged her again. "I can't tell you how much I missed your voice. Promise you'll never trade your voice for anything again? I don't want to ever come that close to losing you again."

"I promise as long as you promise to never see the seawitch again."

Xion giggled. "I promise."

* * *

"_There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, the earth, and every common sight, to me did seem, apparell'd in celestial light, the glory and freshness of a dream. It is not now as it hath been of yore; - Turn wheresoe'er I may, by night or day, the things which I have seen I now can see no more."_

While resting in Terra's arms upon the Summit, Aqua read aloud from her favorite Wordsworth book. The cover was now worn and the spine was practically nonexistent thanks to her consistent attention.

"This is the first thing I ever read to you," Terra mused as he rested his head atop hers. "Remember?"

A smile bloomed across Aqua's face as she nodded.

"You haven't been talking for that long and you're already better at reading than I am." He scoffed as he looked over her shoulder at the book's contents.

"I still like it better when you read to me," she stated, turning a page as she grinned coyly.

Terra chuckled a bit before relaxing and reclining further into the creamy, stone chair they sat in.

Once Leyla, Sora, Riku, and Vanitas returned to Twilight Town, things began slowly returning to normal except without Xehanort and Vanitas barking orders and torturing people.

Eventually, Aerith and Terra allowed Aqua to get out of bed and take on lady in waiting duties again. Things were almost as they were before Leyla arrived.

Aqua spent her days with the twins, her afternoons with Terra, and finally, her evenings on the marble steps with Xion. However, now her days also involved magic practice with Ven and Terra. They said she was a natural and she wondered if that fact had anything to do with the seawitch or her origin. With time, Ansem the Wise said she could be a mage, that she could teach others to be mages like her to help his Keyblade wielders defend their home.

Despite everything, the future finally seemed bright and full of promise.

Securing Terra's arms around her middle, she closed her eyes and leaned into him. "I love you too."

Terra's entire body tensed. "Huh?"

"I heard you, while I was in the water. You told me you loved me but I couldn't say it back, so I'm saying it now. I love you too." She turned in the chair to face him and gauge his reaction.

The bronze warrior's face was tinted pink as he looked into her eyes and caressed her cheek. "I didn't think you heard me… And I was afraid of repeating it afterwards. You know, because of everything with Leyla… I thought it might be too soon."

"Everything is all right now," she whispered and before she could say anything else he was kissing her.

Without thinking, Aqua closed her eyes, looped her arms around his neck, and allowed him to deepen their kiss, a kiss very unlike all the others they had shared. It was better than the others, warmer, more intimate. It left her head fuzzy and her chest full.

"So it's true?" she whispered, her lips vibrating against his. "You love me?"

Terra grinned against her lips. "I love you," he echoed before pressing his lips against hers again.

For the first time in her life, she felt her immoral heart beating. It thundered loudly in her chest. It vibrated against her ribs and rattled her spine. It was magnificent and she now knew without a doubt that Terra loved her, wholeheartedly and that love had given her a heart, his heart. His heart had flowed into her body and she would be able to share the future happiness of mankind with him.

* * *

Later that night, Aqua went to the marble steps with the hope of a visit from Xion but Xion was not who she found waiting for her. Instead of finding Xion, she found King Eraqus rising from the flood to greet her.

"Father?" she squeaked in disbelief. She never in a million years would have thought her father would come this close to a human structure to visit her.

Her heart felt as though it had been pricked and she felt water swelling up behind her eyes.

"Hello, Aqua," he said warmly.

Clumsily, Aqua ran down the steps and fearlessly rushed into the water to embrace him.

With a low chuckle, the Sea King obliged and held her until she felt inclined to release him.

"I'm so glad you came," she whispered into his shoulder. "I've missed you so much."

"Here, I brought you something." Her father pulled away from her and lifted his free hand out of the swell, revealing her Keyblade, the one from her garden.

Aqua's eyes widened. "The Keyblade! You got it out!"

"I thought you would want it and when Xion and Gran told me about your new life here… I wanted you to have something to remember us by. I figured it would do more good here with you instead of rusting further in your garden waiting for you to return."

Her eyes filled with tears as she reached out and took the sleek, blue-steel blade from his hands. "Thank you… Thank you so much."

With a bemused expression, the Sea King outstretched his hand to touch the water that spilled from her eyes. "What an oddity humans are…"

Aqua giggled a bit before embracing him yet again.

"I am going to miss you dearly." His arms tightened around her. "But your happiness is of the upmost importance and if this is what makes you happy, then I cannot bring myself to keep it from you. Of course, I want you to come back home but not if it is going to make you unhappy."

"This is what I want. I am truly happy here but that doesn't mean that I don't love you and that I won't miss you every single day."

"I love you, and we will miss you but I am sure Xion will let us know what you are up to," Eraqus replied as he patted her now damp back.

Aqua laughed a bit and wiped more of her tears off her cheeks.

"_No more tears. You'll sully your beautiful face."_

Aqua tensed and looked over her father's shoulder to see Gran behind him, proud and graceful as ever.

Placing her Keyblade on the smooth steps behind her, she held out her arms for the dowager.

"Promise me that you will never forget who you are, where you came from, and what I taught you," Gran demanded as she entered her embrace and ran a hand through Aqua's short hair.

Aqua smiled into her grandmother's shoulder. "I promise."

"I love you, child. Even if you are impossible," Gran whispered with one of her rare chuckles.

The blue mermaid couldn't keep herself from giggling a bit. "I love you too, Gran."

* * *

After obtaining her Keyblade, everything began changing and time began to flow differently.

With Terra and Ven's help, Aqua learned to properly use the Keyblade from her undersea garden. They practiced together every day and it wasn't long before she was able to keep up with the boys and even best them.

With the seawitch's curse gone, Aqua regained her strength. She was no longer sickly and weak and thanks to her training, she grew stronger than she ever dreamed of being. Eventually, she became strong and powerful enough to become dubbed a mage and ultimately, one of King Ansem's royal Keyblade bearers. Not only did she become a royal Keyblade bearer, she was the first female to ever obtain the title.

Needless to say, the twins had been overjoyed and welcomed her decision, knowing she would one day be their own royal Keyblade bearer, knowing she would guard them and their kingdom for the rest of her days.

Aqua made the decision to become a Keyblade wielder so that she could protect the twins, their people, her friends, her new family, and this land. If war ever did come to their humble shores, if anyone dared to disrupt their peace, she would be able to defend it and bring back peace and balance.

The years passed quickly once she became a full-fledged mage and wielder. Her contentment and happiness coaxed time to accelerate without her consent. Before she knew it, it was time to think of the future and begin teaching others her skills she'd obtained. She taught the future generations how to expand and grow so that they could one day take her place and protect their kingdom and their future queen, ultimately bringing forth a new era of Keyblade wielders. All the while, never forgetting who she was and telling Gran's stories to her pupils in the form of myths and legends, keeping both her and her people's legacy alive. She did everything in her power to keep the balance her father had always taught her to protect, to bring a bit of the sea's ethereal peace to this chaotic world.

Princess Leyla continued to visit just as she said she would, managing foreign affairs between her kingdom and theirs and allowing Riku and of course, Sora to accompany her so he could see Kairi. Leyla brought Sora each time she came to visit until she came on personal matters, to formally invite everyone to her second wedding, a wedding where she would marry a not a Keyblade wielder but a prince.

In the end, Aqua had been very pleased to find that Leyla had not been wrong about Sora. Kairi and Sora had not been fond of being apart although their visits were frequent and eventually, Sora did return Kairi's good luck charm to her but as a symbol of engagement. Thus, Sora was named prince consort and Kairi became Ansem's successor while Naminé served as her sister's advisor to keep men like Xehanort from ever corrupting their dynasty again.

When Naminé relented her title for simpler things, leaving Ansem the Wise to dub Kairi his successor, Aqua had not been surprised. She'd always known that Kairi was a better fit for the throne, especially when Ven asked for Naminé's hand in marriage. Naminé knew as Aqua did that she would have been miserable with that much responsibility and Ven would never fit into the mold of prince consort, much less a king. Ven could however, be a wonderful husband to Naminé and support her as she aided her sister.

And eventually, Terra wed as well. He married on a wedding ship just as he had planned to do once before. However, this time, he married a different princess, one with the sea in her hair and the sky in her eyes. He married the woman who saved his life. And in addition to giving her his heart, he gave her a ring made out of the purest sapphires to replace her sapphire scales.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! **_

_**See! I told you guys it would all work out! Oh, ye of little faith! Hopefully, all of you are pleased with the ending!**_

_**Thanks again for reading and for staying with the story until the end! I hope you enjoyed it! **_


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